Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1507822
54 PCB007 MAGAZINE I SEPTEMBER 2023 The SEL Supply Line Introduction by Barry Matties During my recent tour of SEL's new $100 million PCB factory in Moscow, Idaho, I spoke with Engineering Director John Hendrickson specifically about the partnerships they formed with the many equipment suppliers it took to build a new factory. I wanted to know when he's choosing a supplier in a critical aspect, what is he looking for? John Hendrickson: [As] close to home as possi- ble. That's definitely one of the things we want to look for. Do their business philosophies align with ours, and do they have the right equipment sets to meet our needs? We find the right partner and maybe their equipment sets don't meet our needs today, but that's where we want to build those deep relationships and work together to develop technology that meets both of our goals. John said that constant communication between all suppliers involved is key. Mike Brask, president of IPS and a key supplier to SEL, joined me on the SEL tour. I asked him to talk about the communication process from start to installation of the ENIG line. Mike Brask: John had dedicated engineers for the ENIG line that would work on it with us throughout the entire process. SEL had also cho- sen their chemical supplier, so we met with them SEL SPECIAL SECTION