Catching Up With Mark Wood, Microart Services

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Microart Services has been in business for over 40 years, growing from a design PCB layout company to a full-service EMS company focused on serving its customer base with standard and custom solutions. I’ve heard from my rep friends, their competitors, and even my Canadian PCB friends that Microart is “one of the best EMS companies in North America.” That’s why I decided to speak with CEO Mark Wood to discover the secret to his company's success.

Founded in 1981 by Bernie Luwe, Microart Services has grown from a design PCB layout company to a full-service EMS company. Luwe is still active in the company, which focuses on both standard and custom solutions, including design, prototyping, and assembly processes. Additionally, Microart Services adheres to IPC-A-610 and ISO 13485:2003 certifications.

Dan Beaulieu: Mark, I have admired Microart Services from afar for a long time, and it’s a pleasure to finally meet with you. Tell us a little about your role and your background.

Wood: I’m the CEO and do my best to stay out of the way and let the people I hired run the show. I graduated from college as an air conditioning engineer, but there were no jobs at the time, so I transitioned to an electronics company as a department manager. As I was a skilled draftsman, I then transferred to PCB layout and met Bernie at the SMT Centre, the first large-scale Canadian contract manufacturer. He hired me, and we worked together for five years before going our separate ways. He returned to Microart about 25 years ago as an employee. Twenty years ago, he contacted me to join him as a new owner had taken over. I then purchased the company seven years ago.

Beaulieu: What makes Microart special?

Wood: Probably the most important thing that stands out is our customer diversity. We deal with hundreds of customers every month, and it’s great to help them solve their issues. But besides bringing us the revenue, it offers us what I like to call “paid tuition” to learn about all of these companies’ technology, business, markets, and special needs. Ultimately, it makes us a much better company—more diversified as defined by the very customer base being diversified.

Beaulieu: What are the challenges your company faces selling in North America?

Wood: Offshore competition, but customers are wising up to the fact that long-distance suppliers have their own issues. This has become more obvious of late with all the tariffs. Companies are coming back to us, especially since we have facilities on both sides of the border.

Beaulieu: Can you explain your strategy for being on both sides of the border and how it came about?

Wood: We opened our U.S. plant just before the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a real challenge then, but we stuck it out. Now we can see the benefits. Our customers leverage us constantly to ensure we are building in the most cost-effective location. With the talk of tariffs, it has become a great asset to us and for our customers. They have the option of using our U.S. facility without tariffs.

Beaulieu: As an EMS company, what is the most important thing you can offer your customers?

Wood: Flexibility. It is almost impossible to forecast long-term these days. We work closely with our customers to adjust the supply chain as their requirements change. Most importantly, we listen to them and try to understand what their specific needs are both today and in the future. That way, we can be prepared to meet them in the future when they will need us to be prepared.

Beaulieu: Partnerships are a key ingredient to having a successful business. What is your relationship with your partners, starting with PCB fabricators?

Wood: Toronto used to be the second-largest location for PCB houses in North America. Now, not so much. We still have quite a few that offer outstanding services. For larger requirements, we have multiple offshore partners that can meet almost any requirement.

Beaulieu: How about designers? Do you have your own or do you partner with them?

Wood: We still have two designers in-house, and we keep them very busy.

Beaulieu: A completely synergistic solution encompassing concept to reality—design, fabrication, and assembly—is the wave of the future, and I am pretty sure that’s why you have been so successful. Customer service is more important than ever. What does customer service mean to you and your team?

Wood: It’s all about communication. We demand and expect our team to return calls and emails within hours and listen to what our customers tell them. The entire basis of great customer service is providing the customers with not only what they want but also what they need.

Beaulieu: What services does Microart provide?

Wood: We provide service from engineering to full fulfillment and everything in between. The only two processes we contract out are bare boards and complex wire harnesses.

Beaulieu: What kind of customers do you service?

Wood: We service just about every industry you can imagine, from consumer to space. We are not a Tier 1, but we can offer everything a Tier 1 offers and do it better with more personal, hands-on service. Our customers love that about us. They are not only our customers but also our partners and even friends. We look out for one another.

Beaulieu: What is your global reach?

Wood: We have customers all over the world, including a couple in China. We have customers in most U.S. states, and in Canada, we work with customers in all the provinces coast to coast.

Beaulieu: Where would you like the company to be in five years?

Wood: In three years, we anticipate crossing the $100 million mark, and in five years I want to go down to three days a week. Everyone is trying to make the five-year goal happen much faster.

Beaulieu: What is your plan for increasing your sales globally?

Wood: We are looking to add more U.S. reps in areas where we are currently lacking. If you know anyone, we would love to meet them.

Beaulieu: As we finish up this interview, do you have any parting words?

Wood: As a company, we bend over backward to help our customers. It’s all about the customers, and we know that we would not be here without them. So, I cannot end this interview without thanking all the companies we do business with.

Beaulieu: Well said. Thank you, Mark.