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52 PCB007 MAGAZINE I JUNE 2024 Feature Article by Prashant Patel ALPHA CIRCUIT Building a new PCB facility takes strong part- nerships with your suppliers. I quickly learned that we could not build our new facility alone. We would need to find and develop relation- ships with what would become trusted vendor partners. We learned that it was vitally important to collaborate and partner with the equipment vendors as well as the automation companies to make sure we selected both the right equip- ment and the right vendor partner. We wanted to be sure we could count on them for a long and productive relationship. We needed these companies and people to be part of the journey with us. We wanted to ensure they would be there to train our team on how to best use their equipment and products. Most importantly, they would be there, "Johnny-on-the-spot," to maintain and repair the equipment when it went down. As we near completion of our new high-tech facility in Schaumburg, Illinois, I can't stress enough the value of our vendor partners in that process. Equipment and products are only as good as the company that can maintain them. I expect the relationships we developed during the building and equipment process will serve us well moving forward. Here are some things I learned to look for when selecting good supplier partners: Technical expertise and innovation: Ensure the supplier has extensive technical knowl- edge and is at the forefront of innovation in PCB technology. ey should be able to offer advanced solutions and stay updated Expansion and Growth: You Can't Do It Alone