Steve Williams: A Strong Career Built on PCBs

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

With more than 40 years in electronics manufacturing, The Right Approach columnist Steve Williams shares the story of a life built on hard work, learning, and leadership. From family business roots to global sourcing strategies, Steve reflects on his proudest milestones and reminds us that success in this industry starts with continuous learning.

Marcy LaRont: Steve, you are an industry veteran with a broad base of experience in the PCB fabrication industry, dating back to your early childhood, so I’d like to learn more about you. Where were you bornand raised?

Steve Williams: I was born in Cook County, Illinois, but my family quickly relocated to the Milwaukee suburbs. I spent eight years working in the Chicagoland area and three in Virginia; otherwise, I’ve always been a Wisconsinite.

Where did you attend college and what did you study?

I did my undergrad at Concordia University, majoring in Organizational Management, and my MBA at Cardinal Stritch University, where I studied negotiation under the negotiation master, Dr. Chester Karrass. Beyond my formal education, I also studied Quick Response Manufacturing (QRM) under Industry Week Manufacturing Hall of Famer Rajan Suri, and I am a certified leadership consultant through the John Maxwell Group.

Steve, you are one of a select group of individuals who, quite literally, grew up in this industry. Recount some of that story.

I began working in my family’s PCB business, Electro-Tek, and subsequently held leadership positions in the PCB manufacturing industry for 23 years, spanning various companies. I eventually worked for my largest customer, Plexus, in 1998, and was the global commodity sourcing manager for 15 years. I built a team of commodity specialists for all custom products (PCBs, metal, plastics, wire harnesses, die casting), and I created the Plexus Global Sourcing Strategy. My team traveled the world evaluating companies to support our growth and managed this custom global supply chain once they were approved.

To continue reading this interview, which originally appeared in the November 2025 edition of the PCB007 Magazine, click here.