Target Condition: Are Autorouters Friend or Foe?
Fresh PCB Concepts: Assembly Challenges with Micro Components and Standard Solder Mask Practices
Elementary Mr. Watson: Retro Routers vs. Modern Boards—The Silent Struggle on Your Screen
Flex and Rigid Sales and Marketing with Al Wasserzug
January 20, 2017 | Andy Shaughnessy, PCBDesign007Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
After decades in the PCB industry, Al Wasserzug of Cirexx International has seen marketing and sales trends come and go. I recently caught up with Al and interviewed him via email about the latest sales and marketing techniques, the value of traditional methods such as trade shows and conferences, and the particular characteristics of marketing flex circuits.
ANDY SHAUGHNESSY: For anyone who may not be familiar with Cirexx, give us a quick background on the company and your own background.
AL WASSERZUG: Cirexx was established in 1984 in Silicon Valley as a PCB manufacturer and has grown over the years to become a full service PWB supplier. The company offers design through assembly of printed circuit board and flex circuit products for a variety of markets and holds several professional certifications and registrations.
I have been in the PWB industry for more than 38 years and have served in nearly every facet of a manufacturing organization. With Cirexx, I manage business development in the Midwest and Southeast U.S. where I have an opportunity to utilize most of the skill set I have developed over my career. While I continue to specialize in flex circuits, I have also enjoyed learning and participating in the growing RF/microwave PCB niche.
SHAUGHNESSY: How would you describe the Cirexx marketing philosophy?
WASSERZUG: The Cirexx marketing approach can be wrapped up in one word: focus. We focus on a particular market segment, technology, region and/or customer account and then saturate that entity with all things Cirexx. We use all available tools: The Internet, trade shows, “lunch-n-learn” events, sales reps, cold calling, technical interface/assistance and a lot of face time with key individuals.
SHAUGHNESSY: Do you think trade shows, conferences and advertising are still important marketing avenues? I hear this argument, pro and con, quite a bit.
WASSERZUG: These are all tools that continue to have great value within the context of a larger marketing plan. They will individually seem like a waste of time and money if they are not incorporated into a dedicated strategy from which the entire sales team is working. You can add all forms of other common sales instruments to this list and similarly get pro and con on each for the same reason: use of social media; sales reps vs. direct sales; value of “lunch-n-learns,” etc. Every organization must have an overall plan to achieve a specific objective. Then, and only then, will they readily see the wisdom—or lack thereof—in any one particular approach.
To read this entire article, which appeared in the December 2016 issue of The PCB Design Magazine, click here.
Share on:
Suggested Items
Facing the Future: Time for Real Talk, Early and Often, Between Design and Fabrication
07/08/2025 | Prashant Patel -- Column: Facing the FutureThere has always been a subtle but significant divide between those who design and those who build printed circuit boards. It’s not a hostile gap, but it is a real one, and in today’s high-speed, high-complexity, high-stakes environment, that gap is costing us more than time and yield. It’s costing us innovation.
DownStream Acquisition Fits Siemens’ ‘Left-Shift’ Model
06/26/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, I-Connect007I recently spoke to DownStream Technologies founder Joe Clark about the company’s acquisition by Siemens. We were later joined by A.J. Incorvaia, Siemens’ senior VP of electronic board systems. Joe discussed how he, Rick Almeida, and Ken Tepper launched the company in the months after 9/11 and how the acquisition came about. A.J. provides some background on the acquisition and explains why the companies’ tools are complementary.
Elementary Mr. Watson: Retro Routers vs. Modern Boards—The Silent Struggle on Your Screen
06/26/2025 | John Watson -- Column: Elementary, Mr. WatsonThere's a story about a young woman preparing a holiday ham. Before putting it in the pan, she cuts off the ends. When asked why, she shrugs and says, "That's how my mom always did it." She asks her mother, who gives the same answer. Eventually, the question reaches Grandma, who laughs and says, "Oh, I only cut the ends off because my pan was too small." This story is a powerful analogy for how many PCB designers approach routing today.
Connect the Dots: The Future of PCB Design and Manufacturing
07/02/2025 | Matt Stevenson -- Column: Connect the DotsFor some time, I have been discussing the increasing complexity of PCBs and how designers can address the constantly evolving design requirements associated with them. My book, "The Printed Circuit Designer’s Guide to… Designing for Reality," details best practices for creating manufacturable boards in a modern production environment.
Siemens Turbocharges Semiconductor and PCB Design Portfolio with Generative and Agentic AI
06/24/2025 | SiemensAt the 2025 Design Automation Conference, Siemens Digital Industries Software today unveiled its AI-enhanced toolset for the EDA design flow.