Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1527276
26 SMT007 MAGAZINE I OCTOBER 2024 Feature Interview by Nolan Johnson I-CONNECT007 Rick Smith is vice president of business development at ERAI, an organization found- ed in 1995 as a watchdog for the electronic component distribution section, aiming to combat bad business practices and counter- feiting. Rick definitely has some stories to tell about the hows and whys of counterfeiting, and breaks down some compelling numbers when it comes to fake parts being sold into the open market. Nolan Johnson: Rick, why was ERAI formed? Rick Smith: ERAI was formed to clean up, police, and promote the electronic component distribution world to the manufacturing com- munity. When we formed, most of the inci- dents we tracked and reported on were just bad business practices. Shortly aer China joined the World Trade Organization in 2000, we received our first report of a counterfeited integrated circuit. Since that time, we have put together the largest known database of coun- terfeit and non-conforming electronic compo- nents, as well as the companies reported for having shipped those components. ERAI also tracks and reports on many other supply chain issues including wire fraud, something that has just exploded in the last couple of years. We provide business, industry, and govern- ment intelligence to navigate the supply chain and avoid bad products and bad companies, thereby mitigating risk and preventing loss. ERAI: The Counterfeit Watchdog