Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1476200
48 PCB007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2022 time are keys to success, but providing highly responsive support to our customers is key as well. It's interesting, as many companies have moved away from where you can actually talk to a person when you are seeking support or assistance. At FCT, we believe in "being great at the things that don't require that much tal- ent." is relates directly to providing our cus- tomers with outstanding support—pick up the phone, answer the email, provide our custom- ers with an update, call the customer, and pro- vide outstanding support. Many of our cus- tomers have provided us with great feedback related to how we care for them. All this has led to very good growth for us. From 2015 to 2019, our company doubled in size. In 2020, the first year of COVID, we were flat. Last year, we experienced 25% growth year-over-year. at was a big growth year for us, which was outstanding given the chal- lenges with components, dealing with COVID, and other issues. So far, 2022 has been an excit- ing year for us as well as we continue to attain strong results and we have an outstanding pipe- line of opportunities that we are working on. Shaughnessy: I heard you opened a new facility in China. Tell us about it. Burkett: Yes, last fall, we opened FCT Zhuhai, a brand new, state-of-the-art, 400,000-plus- square-foot production facility aimed at flex, rigid-flex, and flex heaters. It has an R&D cen- ter, and one of our goals over the next three years is to increase our capabilities each year— getting to tighter trace and space, smaller via structures, dealing with high-speed mate- rials and on our way to what would be sub- strate-like PCBs. ere will be continued and growing needs for miniaturization and making advancement in our capabilities as it relates to that direction. We also are positioned to meet growing needs for large-scale or large-format type of circuits. Getting Zhuhai up and run- ning has been key for us. With improved capa- bilities, combined with significant capacity, we are well positioned to grow rapidly in support of our customers. Having said all that, from a customer base, we're seeing mixed results. If you look at long- time production, depending on the industry, some are running a little soer, while others are growing rapidly. While we grew at a 25% clip last year, we'll see where we end up this year. But we are well positioned and optimis- tic given the trends in the industry and what our customers want. It puts us in a good posi- tion to grow. We have a commitment to long- term, mutually beneficial relationships with our customers, which helps fuel that growth. Now, with our new facility, a commitment to increased capabilities, and the added capac- ity, we're in a very good position to grow long- term as an organization. Shaughnessy: You've mentioned before that relationships are a major part of your "recipe." Burkett: Yes, absolutely. We started in 2000 as an internet-based company—responding to quotes and sending them out. It was a great strategy for a young startup. Back then, there weren't that many different suppliers doing flex, so we oen would be found via an inter- net search and would respond with a quote. We certainly won our share of business and that business model led to our initial growth over our first 10-plus years in business. Today, we are much more mature as a company and So far, 2022 has been an exciting year for us as well as we continue to attain strong results and we have an outstanding pipeline of opportunities that we are working on.