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Salt Creek Capital Portfolio Company Acquired Blackfox
December 29, 2023 | Salt Creek CapitalEstimated reading time: 1 minute
Salt Creek Capital is pleased to announce that its portfolio company, Electronics Manufacturing Training Holding, has acquired Blackfox Training Institute. Founded in 1996, Blackfox is a leading provider of IPC training and certification services. Electronics Manufacturing Training Holding is also the owner of EPTAC, an internationally recognized leader in IPC training and certification.
Combining EPTAC and Blackfox under the same ownership creates one the largest IPC training and certification providers in the U.S., with greater access to in-person and online services to customers around the world.
Burak Gokmen, CEO of Electronics Manufacturing Training Holding, stated, “EPTAC is known for its consistency in providing premier training services with the highest-quality instructors in the industry. Blackfox is a natural addition for Electronics Manufacturing Training Holding, as we will be able to leverage both companies’ geographical footprints and industry focuses. Al Dill and the exceptional employees at Blackfox have utilized their deep industry knowledge to build an impressive company, and we are very pleased to add their outstanding team members as part of the combined company.”
Al Dill, former CEO of Blackfox, said, “We are pleased to have joined forces with EPTAC. Our shared values include focusing on developing better IPC training and certification programs for our customers, making this an easy transition. We look forward to promoting our full program line to the industry.”
Tyler Romrell, Vice President of Salt Creek Capital, added, “Burak continues to demonstrate excellence as a leader and executive since partnering with Salt Creek to acquire EPTAC in 2021. We’re excited to continue supporting Burak and his team through the acquisition of Blackfox as well as the Company’s future expansion efforts in the years to come.”
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04/30/2026 | EPTAC CorporationEPTAC, a global leader in electronics manufacturing training, has opened its new corporate headquarters and training facility in Salem, New Hampshire, expanding its capacity to support workforce development across North America.
TTC-LLC and TTCI: Smarter Training, Stronger Test at PCB East 2026
04/27/2026 | The Test Connection Inc.The Training Connection LLC (TTC-LLC) and The Test Connection, Inc. (TTCI) will be exhibiting together at PCB East 2026, taking place April 28–May 1 at the DCU Convention Center in Worcester, Massachusetts. Attendees can find both teams at Booth #103 during the main exhibition day on Wednesday, April 29.
Building Industry-ready Talent Through Standards-based Education
04/27/2026 | Global Electronics AssociationRecently, Sichuan Modern Vocational College organized 132 students to complete IPC-A-610 Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies Certified IPC Specialist (CIS) training and certification.
Global Electronics Association Expands Free Member Training Library with New Safety and Ergonomics Courses
04/23/2026 | Global Electronics AssociationThe Global Electronics Association today announced three new complimentary courses in safety and ergonomics, expanding its member training library to help manufacturers onboard workers faster and improve production performance.
SMT Perspectives & Prospects: Artificial Intelligence, Part 7—Data Module 2
04/08/2026 | Dr. Jennie Hwang -- Column: SMT Perspectives and ProspectsWhen I last wrote about data, I focused on data quality and size, data infrastructure, the boundaries of data training, data preparation, and the general challenges and concerns of data. This month, I will focus on alternative approaches, data governance, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), and agentic RAG.