Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1476200
20 PCB007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2022 for a soware developer to make money, so you pretty much have to go with a custom so- ware package at this point. Matties: Which may be well worth the money too, as an investment point in this climate. Ryder: Yes, it certainly could be. Matties: Do you have any final thoughts around board pricing today? Dan, let's start with you. Beaulieu: For the good of the industry, we must respect the pricing. We must respect one another. Like we said, our customers must realize that they need to make an investment in us, and that the rock-bottom pricing has not gone very well. We're trying to be American independent companies, and it's made us dependent on some countries that are, at best, frenemies. We have to look out for that on the other side. Right now, pricing is not mar- gin-based. It is cost-based, and I think it will continue. I don't know of any board shop that I've ever worked with, and believe it or not I've worked with over 100, that gouged their customers, ever. By the same token, I've not known companies that were so fat with cash they could just buy any piece of equipment they wanted. We've got to look out for that. Pricing is changing, just like the labor market is changing. Pricing will change, and I hope for the better in terms of supporting the American PCB industry. Matties: Dave, any final thoughts around board pricing? Ryder: You just really have to stay current on the trends, as far as what we're seeing from our suppliers. I don't think that there are big swings from one board shop to the next as far as the pricing goes, because we don't hear about that from our customers. e exception of that would be, "Well, you're three times the price," and you go back and pressure them, and you find out that they're offshore with that quote. Be diligent about watching your cost. Matties: Especially when you have a problem post-production and you've got to deal with a company in different time zones that speaks different languages. Ryder: Yes. We do some of that. Matties: All right, gents, we certainly appreci- ate your time today. Ryder: Always a pleasure, Barry. PCB007