Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1494936
60 PCB007 MAGAZINE I MARCH 2023 Feature Interview by Nolan Johnson I-CONNECT007 Twenty-plus years is a long time to lead a business during a long decline in the indus- try, but IMI President and CEO Peter Bigelow remains quite confident about the future. e company is in a strong financial position, run- ning well, and looking at new technologies. So, what's his biggest challenge? It's not much dif- ferent than any other manufacturer you talk to, and while he may not have all the answers, he's clearly got insight to share. Peter, as a PCB fabricator, what's happening in the industry? Talk about the changes you're seeing. e past 18 or so years have been pretty miser- able because the industry has been shrinking. We've had all kinds of turmoil in that regard. However, even with this rough period, I'm quite optimistic and enthusiastic about where we are. e trend is to bring manufacturing back to North America because there is a concern with cybersecurity issues, and companies want to buy from a viable, reputable source, rather than pulling it to the cheapest price. I think that's a positive. e supply chain issues that took place dur- ing COVID were aberrations. First, tariffs meant things moved differently than they did before. en you throw in a pandemic, and nobody can work. Ships at the ports were stuck because there wasn't anyone to unload them; they were overwhelmed. All these things happen, but I see them as aberrations to some degree. COVID is more manageable now than it was. We're used to the tariffs, so things are flowing more normally. We still have, how- Bigelow: Bullish on Fab's Future