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The Del Mar Electronics Show Wrapup
May 12, 2009 |Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
Surprises From the San Dieguito Estuary
By Harvey Miller
The Del Mar Electronics Show is a regional show held annually at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in San Diego, California. It's a small show, but this event has built up a rabid base of attendees over the years.
This year, when I counted over 20 PCB fabricators in the pre-show announcement, I knew that I had to head for this event on the "Little San Diego River" estuary. And it's an appropriate place for an electronics trades show during a recession year.
This year's show surprised me in more ways than one. Surprise No. 1: Attendance was up from last year. Yes, attendance rose in the recession year of 2009 from the boom year of 2008. (I'll have the exact stats later this week, including comparative exhibitor count, probably also up.)
But maybe an increase shouldn't come as a surprise after all. Columnist Dan Beaulieu has estimated the cost of one sales call and the cost of acquiring a new customer. After analyzing all the cost factors that enter into a sales call--salesman remuneration, vehicle amortization, fuel, time, losses and lost time, reports--Dan came up with figures of $500 per sales call, and $10,000 to establish a new customer!
That compares with $999 for a booth at Del Mar, where the potential customers come to you!
At Del Mar, I focused on the PCB fabricator exhibitors. They man the front line of electronic manufacturing, and they are the salt of the earth. In addition to reporting for this column, I was also on a mission to update the Fabfile Online database.
As Table 1 shows, flexible circuits were strongly represented at Del Mar. Flex Interconnect Technologies is up 20%, and Cirexx is now now 60% flex and rigid-flex, contributing to increased sales. While other companies are laying off, Hughes Circuits shows a 40% increase in personnel YOY, and flex business contributed to this hiring.
Winonics is converting the low-tech Fullerton facility into a high-tech flexible circuit facility. The parent company is JR Controls, which also owns Cosmotronics.
An impressive Chicago HDI contingent was present: American Standard Circuits, Circuitronics, Price Electronics, Alpha Circuit Corporation, and Sunrise PCB.
Endicott Interconnect Technologies and Cartel Electronics shared a booth; the two firms recently announced a strategic alliance. The new Cartel brings China sourcing to the partnership, and also retains some of the IC packaging connections of its DDi antecedents. EIT is an IC substrate powerhouse, with an estimated $75 million in that product. Now that is an interesting combination!
R&D Circuits from far-away New Jersey is strong in DUT boards, with a nine-person design outpost in Phoenix, plus assembly in nearby Allentown, Pennsylvania.
The PCB fabricators sampled at the Del Mar show have more significance than just their juxtaposition. I believe that they represent a contingent of survivors. Many of these companies offer turnkey services: design, fab, assembly and quickturn, of course.
There are other viable business models besides integrated PCB fab houses, as Elliot Shev, senior VP of sales and marketing for SMS Technologies, was quick to point out. An innovative, flexible EMS company can optimize PCB procurement for each assembly better if it's not slaved to a captive fabricator. I think there is room for many models. Foxconn is the largest EMS company, and highly integrated.
Elliot said he acquired five leads--leads that would produce real business.
I met Michele Nash-Hoff, president of ElectroFab Sales, a manufacturer's rep agency. Michele has been involved in electronic manufacturing for a long time. She is the e-publisher of the San Diego Manufacturing Industry Report, and she's also run for San Diego City Council and the state assembly.
I bought a copy of her new book, Can American Manufacturing Be Saved? Why We Should and How We Can. It's well researched, very lucid and very topical. It will be reviewed in a future FabFile column. Here's a link to her book: http://www.savingusmanufacturing.com/.
Thanks to my friend Jerry Murray for introducing me to Michele. Jerry was a longtime writer for PC Fab. He's a lung cancer survivor and it was good to visit with him again.
Next YearFor 2010, the show's name has been changed to the Del Mar Electronics & Design Show. This name change suggests that show management would like to reach more of the PCB designers, design engineers and others at OEMs.
Overheard on the Show Floor
By Marcy Laront
During the Del Mar Electronics Show, I walked the show floor and chatted with the exhibitors. Here are some quotes from various vendors:
SMS TechnologiesElliot Shev, VP of sales and marketing"Quantity is not important. Quality is important. The qualitative person who comes to the booth is what leads to mutual success. This show provides that. Finding that one engineer, that needs that one board made, that leads to a production opportunity is phenomenal."
Endicott Interconnect TechnologiesMichael Hills, Senior VP of Sales & Account ServicesEndicott Interconnect Technologies and Cartel Electronics, who recently announced a strategic business relationship, shared a large booth at the show, highlighting their new partnership.
Michael Hills, senior vice president of sales and account services for Endicott said, "We are implementing the plan that was underway even before we made the announcement at APEX, and this new collaboration has already been successful with a large San Diego-based OEM. We are here at the Del Mar show because we want to really highlight the importance of this area, this customer and this relationship."
Cartel ElectronicsConnie Herring, Account ExecutiveConnie Herring has been in the PCB business since birth. She was both proud of Cartel's new partnership with Endicott Interconnect Technologies and passionate about what it brings to the table for their customers. "Many of our customers are totally embracing it," said Connie. On the Del Mar show, she added, "I come here every year and have gotten some great customers from this show."
Hunter TechnologyJayne Carthy, Director of SalesMaryAnne Pearson, Business Development Manager Jayne Carthy: "We had a good show yesterday. We got some good leads, and some networking done at the show. We will absolutely be here next year."
PrototronDave Ryder, PresidentRuss Adams, West Coast Regional Sales ManagerRuss Adams: "We do this show every year--no questions asked. The value is just too much to pass up. Yesterday's traffic was solid. We got a good amount of leads, and what we are seeing with many of the shows recently is that the leads we do get seem to be more viable and qualitative. We will definitely be here next year." Dave Ryder: "We are looking for quality over quantity and we definitely see the quality of leads coming from this show."
Falcon Sales & TechnologyMike Burke, Vice PresidentFalcon Sales is a veteran rep company in the San Diego area, and a longtime supporter of the Del Mar Electronics show. Falcon Sales is also a member of the Electronics Representatives Association International. Mike Burke said that the area from San Diego into Mexico is identified by ERA as its own territory, separate from Los Angeles, Orange County and the outlying areas. Mike says, "This marketplace is really unique unto itself. Half of the people who come to this show are looking for new products and services; but the other half is here to connect with old friends. They (the Del Mar Electronics Show) really promote that for the community. It is the one time where everyone in this business comes together, regardless of their position. And people like to work with local people from local businesses."
US CircuitGina Roe, Sales Manager"We've been in business in this area for 25 years. We see customers here, vendors here--lots of people we do business with. It's in beautiful Del Mar. It's a great show for this community."
Murrietta CircuitsMarty Neese, Sales Manager"We come here pretty much every year. We like this show. It's non-union. It's not expensive and it's a good community." Murrietta focuses now on full turn key with an emphasis on their EMS services, and they have long focused on the military market. It's tough out there right now, but Marty feels they got some good leads and they definitely plan to be back next year.
R&D CircuitsTom Bresnan, Director of Sales & MarketingIt was R&D's first time at the show. R&D hails from South Plainfield, New Jersey, but do have customers in the San Diego area. Tom said, "It was a good show, and we'll be back next year for sure." R&D was able to couple the exhibition with three customer dinners and a technical presentation. As was the case with several of the Del Mar exhibitors that I spoke with, they used the trip and the venue for maximum sales impact. In this economic climate, a trade show that offers this type of "extracurricular" opportunity has a decided edge.
DDiMark Rodgers, Director of MarketingJerry Barnes, Senior VP of SalesDDi is one of a small group of U.S. fabricators that can be called a large company. And unlike many companies at this show, DDi has its own offshore manufacturing, and the resources to be ever-present in both the Asian and European marketplaces, though North American business remains critical. Mark Rodgers, director of marketing for DDi, acknowledged that the San Diego area is its own unique business culture, and added that they do plan to exhibit at the show next year as well.
Jerry Barnes added, "Although the Del Mar Electronics Show was not as well attended as we have experienced in the past, attendees and exhibitors expressed optimism in San Diego's long term electronic manufacturing viability. DDi agrees that San Diego's electronics industry has an excellent mix of customers across several segments and we will continue to support this market with technological developments, sales and technical resources. I would like to thank all our San Diego customers for their business and look forward to next year's show."
Rogers CorporationDale Doyle, Sales EngineerRogers Corporation was also in attendance at the Del Mar show, continuing to get the word out about three materials announced at IPC APEX EXPO: Theta circuit materials, RO4000 LoPro laminates and RT/Duroid 5880LZ high-frequency laminates. Dale Doyle, sales engineer for Rogers discussed the high-tech and specific nature of this family of laminates, mostly for use in RF products and high-frequency signals that require very low density, very low Dk and heightened signal integrity.