Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1522641
48 PCB007 MAGAZINE I JUNE 2024 reach in Washington. ere are many com- peting demands on policymakers and legisla- tors. We need to play a long game and consis- tently engage decision-makers in Washington to drive awareness of what we need to improve our nation's prospects for becoming more competitive and less reliant on foreign sources for PCBs and substrates. What have you learned from Travis Kelly's leadership? One thing I've observed in the association's early life is the power of networking. Travis used his connections to attract new members. Because our industry is relatively small, we have the advantage of sharing common chal- lenges, customers, and suppliers. Most of our members come to us because a member dis- covered the benefits of being part of PCBAA and convinced others to join. As our member- ship grows, we hope to see this multiplier effect continue. I will certainly reach out to compa- nies in our ecosystem and encourage others to do the same. Why should U.S. PCB fabricators and their suppliers join PCBAA? e first reason is that PCBAA is the only asso- ciation focused on PCBs. We are grateful for the close partnership we have with IPC and PCEA, but we were created with the sole mis- sion of restoring the PCB industry in America. Over the past few decades, our once-domestic market has shied overseas, chasing the cost savings generated by foreign government sub- sidies and low wages. Congress passed the CHIPS Act when our domestic percentage of the world supply of semiconductors had sunk to 12%. An immense amount of government investment in semi- conductors was appropriated to rebalance our share of domestic production. e still largely untold story here is that semiconductors aren't the only technology we need to become less reliant on foreign microelectronics. We continually meet with policymakers and legislators to let them know that "chips don't float" and that there are two other layers of the technology stack for chips to function. More alarming than semiconductors is the erosion of the U.S. PCB supply to the world market, which has deteriorated from 30% to 4%. We need to continue driving this message and that government investments and incentives are urgently needed to restore our PCB indus- try's position to serve the needs of our national security and critical infrastructure. PCBAA is the unified voice for the industry in Washington. e more members we have, the more impact we will see. What are the benefits of membership in PCBAA? Membership gives you a voice in Washing- ton. For many companies, the cost to estab- lish a Washington office can be significant, but PCBAA provides advocacy and communica- tion services for a much more modest invest- ment. PCBAA also connects manufacturers, suppliers, and assemblers through our net- work, as we share common issues and chal- lenges and can oen help each other. Also, PCBAA provides weekly industry intelligence Shane Whiteside