Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1499197
40 PCB007 MAGAZINE I MAY 2023 Customer Service Starts With a Quality Product Yes. We're about to improve our website so that it runs a program that reaches out and finds cus- tomers; it will help, but this is definitely still a "who you know" business. Nolan Johnson: It sounds to me like you are specifically targeting military work. I am because I know that it's a stable job; it won't go offshore, and as long as I do good work, I'll keep the job. at's the reason that I like the military now. We've seen it with certain types of military and medical products as well where we've built some very sophisticated, large flex boards. ere are some things that we do in processing that really make a difference in quality. I also think there will be a number of sophisticated commercial boards that are likely to stay here. Much of the military product is made from com- mercial product. Did the military buy military- qualified components? No, they're commer- cial components, and you come to a crossroads. If you can make the high layer-count sophisti- cated boards very well, then I suspect the cus- tomer will ask us to do some of the less difficult work as well because our service is that good. Johnson: So, the point in your spear is to get in on the DoD military work and then let your customer service excellence speak for itself. Yes, and military will probably work out quite well for us because of their need for engineering excellence. We're bound to do well once we get our hooks into an account. PCB007 Sibor Circuits is located in the high-tech hub of Ontario, Canada, where CEO Simon Ether- ington is in the unique position of finding more U.S.-based military contracts than in his own domestic market. But those jobs provide stabil- ity and, with great customer service, open the door to less complex contracts. Barry Matties: Simon, what is your forecast for the printed circuit board and electronics manufacturing industry? What markets should we pay attention to? For several years, we've been reinvesting in automation and making sure that our certifica- tions ran parallel with looking for opportunities to keep work domestic. e market for more sophisticated circuit boards, especially for mil- itary and aerospace products, will become a key driver for domestic manufacturing in North America. Matties: It seems like military armament inven- tories are dwindling. Do you see an uptick in military contracts? It's taking me longer to acquire jobs than I'd like, and there are probably several reasons for that. Even though we're a Canadian company, 95% of our sales are U.S.-based. We have had more success doing U.S. military work than Canadian. I'm diligently working on getting more domestic Canadian mil- itary work. You have to earn those opportunities and the path is not short. Matties: It's who you know. Is that what you're saying? Feature Interview by the I-Connect007 Editorial Team Simon Etherington