Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1519075
24 PCB007 MAGAZINE I APRIL 2024 supply chain resiliency. e best way to create an environment for printed circuit board pro- duction in North America is to create a strong and resilient demand environment. Recognizing this as an absolute need, we banded with our brethren in the PCB industry to form the Printed Circuit Board Association of America (PCBAA) as a way to supplement the incredible work IPC does for the broader electronics industry and to be a specific voice on PCBs in Washington, D.C. Partnering with IPC on initiatives here has worked out very well. In 2020, TTM hired our own represen- tative in Washington, D.C., so that we have a permanent presence there, and he is doing a great job spreading the message for the com- pany and the industry. ere was a need for industry voices in D.C., and I'm excited that the industry message is expanding and growing in Washington and that the government seems to be recognizing the needs for both defense infrastructure pur- poses and broader, critical commercial needs. I've been thrilled to personally participate and to have our organization be part of this effort. Your new UHDI facility is estimated to cost between $100–$130 million for phase one. How many phases are planned, and what is the total esti- mated cost? We are still finalizing the scope, which will be determined with input from both critical stakeholders—our major cus- tomers and the government. So, we haven't decided yet what the sizing for phase one will look like. Will there be more than one phase? Yes. e intent will be to have at least a phase two portion of the project and much more than just a state incentive pack- age. For us, it all starts with the quality of the people we can find in a particular area. Both our RF microwave and microelec- tronics facility and our RF component facil- ity are in the local area, which means we have the available infrastructure and a very strong engineering organization to help support the planning and the startup of this facility. e tipping point was the quality of the workforce and the infrastructure available, combined with very strong government support at the state and local levels. at convinced us Syra- cuse was the place for TTM to expand. As CEO, you are very plugged into advo- cacy efforts—Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called you himself to persuade you to build in New York. How has this type of activity affected your approach to business? We really started our involvement in Wash- ington, D.C., in 2018 because our critical cus- tomers in the commercial world were talk- ing about the need for supply chain resil- iency. As we surveyed our own foot- print and future expansion plans, we quickly concluded that we needed a voice in Washington regarding the necessary infrastructure require- ments to enhance microelectron- ics manufacturing technology and capacity in the U.S. and support our industry domestically. We've all watched as the world change, and so much of our business shied to Asia. We realized that start- ing to reverse the offshor- ing trend and grow U.S microelectronics man- ufacturing would take incredible persistence, the support of our cus- tomers, and a set of incentives at the gov- ernment level that reinforce the need for Tom Edman