Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1541367
22 PCB007 MAGAZINE I NOVEMBER 2025 Gerry Partida: One of the things that we're able to do between all Summit facili- ties is share best practices and the specific knowl- edge and expertise that one site or one engineer may have with the others. Logistically, we have structured "Gray Matter Meetings." We came up with the name because, in the IPC standards documents, when something is changed, we say we are "in the gray." We thought it was kind of cool to call our meeting the Gray Matter Meeting, where we share infor- mation, expertise, capabilities, and best practices between facilities to help instill those "new" capa- bilities in the other sites, like supporting customer requirements with rigid-flex through the Chicago facility, which provides our customers with a much faster cycle time, or doing D coupon testing for our facilities that do not offer that. We share equipment and processes alike. Our Chicago facility has lead-free and tin-lead HASL, which we don't have in our shops that primarily support military and defense applications. We use our own facilities instead of outsourcing to external services. This is a great benefit to Summit. Gerry, tell me about Summit's commitment to deep engineering support. Partida: When you consider all of Summit's front- end engineers who are taking in customer data and reviewing it for manufacturability and standards compliance, and the requirements that are speci- fied in the procurement documentation, and then add our process engineers and product specialists, there are a lot of unique things that require special attention to make sure our customers get what they need and we are successful. It allows facility GMs like Deepak to say, "We will expand into this technology, because we have the support of people like Gerry Partida and a talented engineering staff." For example, we are currently qualifying Chicago for AS9100, which will enable us to bring in military and defense work. It's not an easy thing to do, but because we have five other sites with that qualifica- tion, we can utilize those resources until this facility receives its qualification. At Summit, we are fortunate to have the resources to do many things that others may not be able to. The groundwork is already here, so I just have to ask for the help I need. I may not have all the answers, but someone within the organization does, and they will help. That is Summit's culture. Security and cybersecurity are big concerns for customers today. How does Summit handle the secure transfer of information between facilities? Veitch: IT security remains a top priority for custom- ers, and Summit's IT team is ensuring that all busi- ness units achieve compliance with CMMC 2.0 standards. The company's audit is scheduled for December with formal certification expected in early January 2026. This commitment under- scores Summit's proactive approach to protect- ing customer data and meeting evolving security requirements across critical industries. What do each of you consider to be the greatest challenge for our industry going forward or what do you find the most exciting right now in our industry? Veitch: I reunited with Summit five months ago, and what excites me the most is the growth in the domes- tic printed circuit board industry, fueled by favorable business conditions and expansion across technol- ogy sectors. These trends underscore the value of working with multi-site suppliers like Summit, which provide flexibility, consistency, and proximity to customers, supported by an infrastructure capa- ble of addressing supply chain demands, advanced technologies, and scalable capacity. Makwana: I'm excited to see this full 360-degree return with manufacturing coming back to the States with all the advanced technology. I think the future is bright for our industry, and for the nation as well. Partida: One of the greatest challenges the indus- try is facing, beyond reshoring and bringing prod- ucts and technology back to the United States, is meeting that demand for a skilled workforce. At Summit, we do that work. Bringing on and devel- oping new, young engineers is the most rewarding part of my job. We love sharing the expertise and knowledge that many of us have gained over the course of our careers and instilling those lessons in the next generation of engineers, enabling them to become subject matter experts much faster than we did. Gentlemen, it's been great speaking with you. Thank you for your time, and congratulations on the successes being seen at Summit Chicago. PCB007