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24 PCB007 MAGAZINE I NOVEMBER 2025 F E AT U R E C O LU M N I ST Q & A by M a rcy La Ro nt , I - C o n n e ct 0 07 Kurt Palmer: Building on a Strong Foundation in PCB Fabrication F ind out how Kurt Palmer has made a name for himself in the printed circuit board industry. Kurt, tell us about yourself. Where were you born and raised? What is a favorite childhood memory you would like to share? I was born in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. My dad was an executive at Norplex Laminates (now part of Isola Laminate Systems), and they had a plant there. I remember the distinct smell of phenolic on my dad's clothes every night, although I didn't realize it was epoxy at the time. Being raised in Wisconsin, I developed a strong allegiance to the Packers and Brewers that is stron- ger than ever today. At age 6, I was also introduced to the sport of golf and have been playing it ever since. Some of my best memories of golf were not playing itself, but looking for golf balls in the woods, then selling them to golfers on the 17th tee. A ball in great condition could get me enough money for a candy bar. Where did you attend school and what did you study? I received my undergraduate degree at the Uni- versity of South Florida, where I also met my wife. I majored in chemistry, but never really used the degree, even though I've been in the PCB indus- try my entire life. Later, I received my MBA with a concentration in international business from Lake Forest (Illinois) Graduate School of Management. I chose this concentration because I was increasingly working with Asian partners to supply consumable products to the industry. I wanted to understand the nuances of Asian vs. North American business practices. How did you get into this industry specifically? I followed my father's and brother's footsteps straight into the industry out of college from Florida. My dad started a business about five years prior, and I had been shearing laminate and prepreg for summer money. So, it was a natural progression to C o l u m n i st : Kurt Palmer C o l u m n : Driving Innovation Ti m e w i t h I - C o n n e ct 0 07: 9 months Columnist Bio: Ku r t Pa l m e r h o l d s a M a ste r 's d e g re e i n I n te r n a t i o n - a l B u s i n e s s f ro m La ke F o re st G ra d u - a te S c h o o l of M a n a g e m e n t . W i t h a ro b u st s k i l l s et t h a t i n c l u d e s m a n u fa ct u r i n g , m a n a g e m e n t , p ro d u ct d eve l o p m e n t , l e a n m a n u fa ct u r i n g , c u sto m e r s e r- v i c e, a n d m o re, Ku r t h a s ove r 3 5 ye a rs of P C B m a - te r i a l s a n d e q u i p m e n t s u p p l y ex p e r i e n c e. H e sta r t- e d i n t h e fa m i l y b u s i n e s s , Ta p c o, w h e re h e wo r ke d fo r 2 8 ye a rs s u p p l y i n g c o n s u m a b l e s a n d e q u i p m e n t to t h e N o r t h A m e r i c a n P C B i n d u st r y. Ta p c o wa s a c - q u i re d by TCT of Ta i wa n i n 2 0 1 5 , w h e re h e sta ye d o n fo r t h re e ye a rs b efo re j o i n i n g B u r k l e N o r t h A m e r i c a a s P re s i d e n t . To d a y, h e i s t h e p re s i d e n t of S c h m o l l A m e r i c a , s u p p l y i n g p re c i s i o n p ro c e s s e q u i p m e n t to t h e i n d u st r y. S e l e ct c o l u m n s f ro m D r i v i n g I n n ova t i o n : • Mechanical and Optical Processes During Rigid-flex Production • Inner Layer Alignment Methods in PCB Production