Advocates for Electronics: A Government Relations Team Puts Muscle Behind Your Hustle

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When Steve Lechtenberg, president and partner of Mectronx in Wisconsin, needed guidance about how PFAS regulations could affect his business, he sent an email to a member of Congress representing his state.

That email later resulted in a two-hour in-person meeting with Scott Rausch, one of Sen. Ron Johnson’s team members.

“We discussed everything from how the Global Electronics Association helps Mectronx to how small contract manufacturers can compete in today’s global marketplace,” Steve says. “The discussion was genuine and refreshing.”

Mectronx is just one of many companies in the industry working with Rich Cappetto, senior director of North American Government Relations for the Global Electronics Association, to help members of Congress better understand the need for more decisive U.S. investment. He connects with Association members to help them be heard in Congress, where possible tax incentives and legislation could bolster U.S. electronics manufacturing.

“Our Government Relations team is committed to serving our members with timely, actionable information on public policies coming out of Washington that may impact their businesses,” Rich says. “Ultimately, our advocacy priorities are driven by member input. It’s essential that we hear from companies across all segments of the industry on the public policy challenges they’re facing. No matter the issue, member voices are often the most powerful way to make a compelling case to policymakers on Capitol Hill and in the White House.”

John Hauschild, managing director of TCLAD in Prescott, Wisconsin, has participated in multiple advocacy activities with help from the Global Electronics Association. “We have made good connections with most of our congressional representatives,” he says. “We need support from Congress to invest in the future of the PCB supply chain and the associated job and manufacturing footprint, to ensure businesses can grow and support next-generation needs for the U.S. defense and commercial sectors to remain at or ahead of our global competition.”

Continue reading this article in the Summer 2025 issue of Community Magazine, a joint effort with the Global Electronics Association and I-Connect007.

Editor’s note: Rich Cappetto contributed to this article before leaving the Global Electronics Association for a new position in the U.S. government.