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learn and excel that create eventual excellence. I'm a witness and a champion for their success. When you reflect on the past 10 years and your ca- reer in the PCB industry, what occurs to you now? Partida: I've witnessed what has happened in our industry. When I first started, there were roughly 3,000 bare PCB manufacturers in North America. I have seen the slow slide as facilities have moved offshore to Asia, initially for price, but now for capa- bilities. That has changed how U.S. PCB manufac- turing looks. Many remaining companies are using older equipment and are struggling to sustain their dwindling share of the market. It has created its own sort of dystopia where too many U.S. compa- nies have become increasingly less significant and less capable. I thank Shane for his bold vision to build Summit during a challenging time. Although the U.S. PCB market is still in decline, there are signs of change. I get to help prevent that further deterioration of knowledge, capability, expertise, and better ways of doing things. On the engineering side, Summit has done some really amazing things, helping our customers build their products better, engaging with them early on for greater reliability in the field, and doing so in the most cost-effective manner. If we can build highly reliable boards, it's easier for us to build with higher yields. That speaks to a better bottom line for both of us. So, early engagement is a win-win, and this is how Summit has worked from the very beginning. As you celebrate this milestone for Summit Inter- connect, does anything come up as particularly pivotal or essential to where Summit is today? Whiteside: All our acquisitions have been impor- tant, starting with the original two companies. We don't consider ourselves to be turnaround experts. We seek out well-run companies that add value to the Summit family. Of our more recent acquisitions, in 2018, we welcomed Streamline Circuits into the family, nearly doubling our size at the time. Stream- line was complementary to what Summit offered in the type of technology it specialized in, its quick- turn culture, and the depth of knowledge in its staff. In 2020, we acquired ITL Circuits, where we saw those same attributes, though their focus was in much higher volume. They remain one of our higher- volume factories today. In 2021, we bought Eagle Electronics in Chicago, which enhanced our quick- turn offering with a different market and customer base than we had previously. In 2022, we acquired three facilities simultaneously: Advanced Assembly in Denver, Royal Circuit Solutions' PCB operation in Hollister, California, and South Coast Circuits in Southern California. By staying true to our original strategic plan and vision, we have extended our capabilities, market reach, customer lists, and product profile. I'm really pleased that each of these facilities has grown since becoming part of Summit Interconnect, some by more than two times their size when acquired. Partida: In the past 10 years, the growth has been there, but it's about more than that, especially com- ing into the U.S. PCB manufacturing industry when we did. This has also been about connecting knowl- edge, preserving capability and capacity, and build- ing a stronger platform for our customers and for our national defense here in the United States. I agree. What's next for Summit? Whiteside: We like the path that we're on. We have seven manufacturing sites and a headquarters of- fice in Irvine, California. We are further enhancing our value proposition, and we will continue to em- phasize growth. We are really excited about growth in the North American market, and we think it's a great time to be in this industry. Partida: It's been a fulfilling career, and it's more fun now than it's ever been. Yes, it's more challenging too, but in the electronics supply chain, making cir- cuit boards lets us touch so much of what goes on around the world. Being a part of it always makes me excited. Thank you both for the discussion, and congratula- tions again to Summit Interconnect on 10 success- ful years. I-CONNECT007 Sponsored links: summitinterconnect.com/ summitinterconnect.com/about-us/ JULY 2026 I I-CONNECT007 MAGAZINE 17