Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/972396
56 FLEX007 MAGAZINE I APRIL 2018 Feature Interview by Andy Shaughnessy I-CONNECT007 When I spoke with APCT President Steve Robinson a year ago, he said he was interested in adding flex and rigid-flex capabilities. With the recent acquisition of Cartel and their sub- sidiary Cirtech, APCT now has a flex and rigid- flex facility, along with military and aerospace certifications. At DesignCon 2018, I asked Steve to discuss these acquisitions and what they mean for APCT and their customers. Andy Shaughnessy: Steve, good to see you again. Now, as the top guy at APCT… Steve Robinson: I'm the head janitor. I clean up all the messes [laughs]. Shaughnessy: That's right. Steve, give us a quick background on APCT. Robinson: APCT was founded in 2008. It was Advanced Printed Circuits before that. This will be the 37th year of that facility and that opera- tion. When I left Merix, I acquired this opera- tion and we've been focusing on a high level of advanced technology and high engineering support for over eight years now. Business has been great, and we've been very fortunate. I think we picked the right market segment and the right business model that we gleaned at the time. We just had a nice start to 2018 with another acquisition. Shaughnessy: Tell us about this acquisition. Robinson: We acquired two business enti- ties. First, Cartel Electronics, run by Bruce McMaster in Orange County, California is a rigid medium-to-advanced technology manu- facturer, a high-mix commercial factory. Then we acquired an affiliate of theirs, Cirtech, which has a market niche: defense aerospace, military-focused, with high-level certification, and flex and rigid-flex as well. One of my charters in 2017 was to provide a solution for our customers in the flex and