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60 PCB007 MAGAZINE I JULY 2024 Feature Interview by Barry Matties I-CONNECT007 You've just sold your pharmaceutical busi- ness and have a lot of extra cash. Where would you spend it? "On a new 45,000-square-foot factory to manufacture high-tech printed cir- cuit boards," said one man. Meet Prashant Patel, one of the industry's newest PCB fabricators. Prashant was a phar- macist for his entire career and did very well. Surrounded by friends with decades of PCB industry experience who willingly shared their outlook on the industry, Prashant decided to acquire Alpha Circuit in Elmhurst, Illinois, in 2021. Alpha Circuit was established in 1981, where the primary focus had been on low- tech. at has all changed. Prashant and his team broke ground on a new 45,000-square-foot building in Schaum- burg, Illinois—meaning this factory was being built from the ground up. Keep in mind that Prashant had no experience in PCB fabrica- tion and had to learn everything, literally, from the ground up. Aer spending a few hours with him, it's easy to see he is a good student. e following interview highlights Prashant's PCB journey. Barry Matties: We're here at Alpha Circuit's brand-new facility, a project that has taken three and a half years. Prashant, tell us about the journey of setting up this new facility. Why did you undertake it this way, and how was the process of bringing it together? Prashant Patel: I wanted to do something in the manufacturing industry, where I have an extensive network of friends and family. We purchased this building, and everything other From Concept to Reality: Building Alpha Circuit