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December 2015 • The PCB Magazine 31 IPC STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY VP TALKS INTERNATIONAL REACH, TECHNOLOGY, AND MORE MacDermid, Enthone, Alpha, OMG Electronic Chemicals, and Compu- graphics Now Under One Roof platform Specialty products corporation, a global diversified specialty chemicals company, has closed on its acquisition of alent plc. the clos- ing of this transaction will prompt the launch of Macdermid performance Solutions, a division of platform that will combine the original Macder- mid operations with businesses from alent (en- thone and alpha and their subsidiary company, Fernox), along with the recently acquired OM businesses. the new entity will pool the experience and resources of each company and unify sales strate - gies in order to improve processes, drive innova- tion, and deliver best-in-class products and ser- vices at every stage of the supply chain. With combined resources, Macder- mid performance Solutions will have one of the largest tech- nological and service-oriented forces in the industry, offering the highest level of support in conjunction with our best-in- class products across a diversi - fied global footprint that cov- ers africa, asia, australia, europe, north america, and South america. "We are excited to welcome alent to the plat- form family," said Scot Benson, president of Mac- dermid performance Solutions. "this transaction propels us into a new chapter for the business. alent's talent and resources will enhance our flexi- bility and expertise to develop new and improved products and capabilities. this acquisition rep- resents a great addition in our ability to support our customers through innovation and technical support." "customers, supply chain partners, employees and investors will all benefit as we unify sales strate- gies, improve processes throughout the company, expand global reach, and continue to deliver the high quality products and services that all of you have come to expect," said Frank Monteiro, cOO of Macdermid performance Solutions. "In the near-term, as we begin to build the best company possible from the combination of these businesses, our customers' experience will not change. a comprehensive branding and integration effort will be deployed in the coming months, and in the interim we encourage you to reach out to your local company contacts with any questions about this announce ment." Bergman: You know, not that long ago, people did not even have cellphones or anything like that, and now they putting that technology in watches. On the radio, on the way here, they were talking about sensors on the skin. Goldman: Yes, and think about your automobile. They say there are now more electronics, weight- wise, than steel or metal. In addition, of course, there's the whole medical industry with wearable devices and implants. I was talking with a PCB company about some of the things going on in the military; they've got little robots that can climb straight up concrete walls and they have one that will jump over walls. There's a new robot, BigDog, that's the size of a large dog. It can follow anything around, carry heavy loads, climb hills, etc., and never fall over. It sounds like Star Wars machines are getting clos- er to reality. Bergman: I don't think there is ever really any end because there is no limit to the imagina- tion. Goldman: Do you think that soon the chairs you sit in might transport us to the airport or some- thing? Bergman: I'm looking for my car to drive itself. Goldman: Me too. Won't that be nice. Okay, thanks Dave. Bergman: My pleasure. PCB FeATure inTerview