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ICAPE Group Diversifies Its Supply Sources and Invests in Its Factory Network
March 27, 2023 | ICAPE GroupEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
ICAPE Group, a global technology distributor of printed circuit boards ("PCB"), presents its sourcing strategy outside China, based on the diversification of supply sources and the development of the industrial assets.
Sourcing is one of the major strengths developed by ICAPE Group over the years. With a network of Chinese factories composed of more than 80 partners and a local service office with 250 employees dedicated to the follow-up of its orders, quality control and logistics, the Group is able to propose to its clients a global support for the sourcing of all types of PCB technologies and technical parts.
In a complex economic and geopolitical context, ensuring the continuity of the supply chain, guaranteeing the prices and controlling the deadlines requires excellent anticipation abilities. Facing these challenges, ICAPE Group chose to adopt a strategy of diversification of its supply sources. The first part of this strategy involves the Group's sourcing department, in charge of the research and approval of new factories outside China. New production sites recently joined the list of vendors approved by the Group, whether in South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand or even Europe.
The second part of this strategy is based on the M&A policy aiming at strengthening the proprietary offer of ICAPE Group. Three production factories have been acquired by the Group since 2021:
- Trax, located in Cape Town, South Africa. With a monthly production capacity of 550m2, competitive pricing and 40 years of industry experience; the factory offers a solid alternative for orders in prototyping and in small series with tight deadlines;
- The MMAB Group factory, acquired in 2022, located in Malmö, Sweden. Founded in 1970, the factory is recognized for its production quality in the Scandinavian region with monthly capacities of up to 500m2 for quality certified rigid multilayer technologies;
- The FIMOR Electronics production factory, acquired in 2023 and located in France, is specialized in the manufacturing of membrane keyboards, front panels, prototypes and small series. It will strengthen the offer of CIPEM, the Group subsidiary dedicated to the supply of technical parts.
Cyril CALVIGNAC, ICAPE Group’s CEO, stated, "Sourcing is a major issue in our industry and it is essential that we secure local alternatives to better adapt to our customers' expectations. By selecting new partners outside China and investing in our own production factories, using our existing resources, we will be able to respond more quickly to the demands of the many sectors we address. Beyond the strength of our partnerships in China, we are also proud to be able to rely on our new factories in Europe and Africa to secure and diversify our supply sources."
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