-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- pcb007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueInventing the Future with SEL
Two years after launching its state-of-the-art PCB facility, SEL shares lessons in vision, execution, and innovation, plus insights from industry icons and technology leaders shaping the future of PCB fabrication.
Sales: From Pitch to PO
From the first cold call to finally receiving that first purchase order, the July PCB007 Magazine breaks down some critical parts of the sales stack. To up your sales game, read on!
The Hole Truth: Via Integrity in an HDI World
From the drilled hole to registration across multiple sequential lamination cycles, to the quality of your copper plating, via reliability in an HDI world is becoming an ever-greater challenge. This month we look at “The Hole Truth,” from creating the “perfect” via to how you can assure via quality and reliability, the first time, every time.
- Articles
- Columns
- Links
- Media kit
||| MENU - pcb007 Magazine
Isola Executive Vice Chairman and Acting CEO Travis Kelly on the Upcoming Year
February 26, 2019 | Nolan Johnson and Barry Matties, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 13 minutes
Kelly: The product is extremely important, of course, but what will be important in differentiating us from the competition is our ability to deliver that extra service. You want to be known as a supplier that is easy to do business with, which is something that we need to strive for in all of our dealings.
Matties: Being easy to do business with and all that is still great, but being the thought leader drives things in today’s world because if all things are equal and I need a sheet of material, there are 10 places where I can get it. Yes, the quality has to be there. Price is something that’s negotiable across the board. All of those factors are the cost of doing business. What sets you apart?
Kelly: That’s a great question. We have leading products, high-quality service, and competitive pricing, but what sets a company apart is its ability to be an innovative solution provider for customers. It is working with customers on their end product and figuring out a technological solution that integrates their product design. That’s the game we’re all playing. For example, if a company wants to build a certain satellite, a thought leader works with that OEM and solves the problems for them, saying, “We understand what you want, and this is what we can do for you, which is an even better solution for you.” That’s how you become a thought leader and go-to vendor. We are focused on reaching that phase and have already started doing some of that with our customers.
Matties: You’re on to it. When you say you’ve already started, are you building a dedicated team to provide engineering services in that capacity, be it technical sales? I know you’ve worked with Insulectro and others.
Kelly: Yes. We’ve invested in what we call OEM marketing, which is working with the OEM, end user, and end customer on helping design products, integrating our products into that design, and also assisting with some tactical sales. It’s definitely a focus of ours and something we’ve invested capital in; we’ve built up the team. We hired the last person of that team over the last two months, so we’re excited because we believe that is the future.
Matties: The approach of helping an OEM not just improve their product, but also lower their total cost may not mean that you’re selling your product for a lower price, but in the end, they wind up with lower cost. That’s extremely valuable.
Kelly: Absolutely.
Matties: What’s the greatest challenge for you in this role?
Kelly: With any company, the greatest challenge is continuing to drive the culture. I am focused on building on the foundation Jeff established and making sure that we have collaboration, not only within the organization itself but also with the OEMs and our suppliers because that’s something that people always forget to mention. Our vendors are extremely important in our business relationship, so driving collaboration when we want to develop new products is essential. When working with customers, our vendors are at the table too because they have great ideas. All of us working together can launch very successful products. So, that is the biggest challenge—continuing to drive our culture of collaboration across the entire value stream.
Matties: Is there anything that we haven’t talked about that you think we should cover today?
Kelly: No, I think we’ve covered the main topics. I appreciate everyone’s time, and we’ll look forward to having a discussion next year where you can see what we’ve been able to execute based on this discussion.
Matties: Great. We certainly appreciate your time today.
Kelly: Thank you.
Page 3 of 3Testimonial
"Advertising in PCB007 Magazine has been a great way to showcase our bare board testers to the right audience. The I-Connect007 team makes the process smooth and professional. We’re proud to be featured in such a trusted publication."
Klaus Koziol - atgSuggested Items
Flexible Circuit Technologies to Host Free Flex Heater Webinar
08/18/2025 | Flexible Circuit TechnologiesGlobal Supplier of flexible circuits, flex design services, and assembly/box-build services, Flexible Circuit Technology will host their latest webinar, "Thermal Precision Meets Flexibility: The Technology Behind Heater Circuits" on Tuesday, August 26th, 2025 at 11 AM EDT.
A.R.T. Ltd. Nominated in Four Categories at 2025 Instrumentation and Electronics Industry Awards
08/11/2025 | A.R.T. Ltd.Advanced Rework Technology Ltd. (A.R.T. Ltd.), a leading provider of electronics training and consultancy, has been shortlisted in four categories at the 2025 Instrumentation and Electronics Industry Awards, including Industry Personality, Academic Support, Rising Star, and Best Customer Service.
EMC Taiwan Receives IPC-4101 Qualified Products Listing Certification
08/08/2025 | Global Electronics AssociationIPC’s Validation Services Program has awarded an IPC-4101 Qualified Products Listing (QPL) to Elite Materials Co. (EMC), an electronics base material manufacturing company headquartered in Taoyuan City, Taiwan.
Global Excellence in PCB Design: The Global Electronics Association Expands to Italy
08/07/2025 | Global Electronics AssociationIn today's rapidly evolving electronics industry, printed circuit boards (PCBs) serve as the critical backbone influencing the success, reliability, and time-to-market of countless products. Recognizing this essential role, the Global Electronics Association (formerly IPC), a worldwide leader in electronics standards, certification, and education, is now expanding its internationally acclaimed PCB design training to Italy.
Dana on Data: Best Practices in Interpreting Drawing Notes—‘Use Latest Revision’
08/07/2025 | Dana Korf -- Column: Dana on DataThe global nature of electronics manufacturing requires clear, consistent, and precise communication, particularly in technical documentation. An area where miscommunication often arises is in interpreting drawing notes—small lines of text with the potential to dramatically impact product quality, manufacturing efficiency, and customer satisfaction.