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Firstronic Wins SBA Exporter of the Year Award
June 30, 2016 | FirstronicEstimated reading time: Less than a minute
Firstronic was awarded the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) 2016 Exporter of the Year award for the Midwest Region, on May 5 at the Twelfth Annual Michigan Celebrates Small Business awards dinner. The awards program was part of SBA’s National Small Business Week (May 1-7), which helps to celebrate the contributions businesses like Firstronic make in helping drive America’s economy.
Firstronic won the Exporter of the Year award at both the State and Midwest level, which covers Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.
“We are very pleased to receive this award at both the state and regional level. Once again, Firstronic’s ‘Keep America Competitive’ business model is being honored. I’d like to thank our team for their hard work and our customers for having faith in our ability provide scalable manufacturing solutions globally. Finally, I also appreciate the business-friendly environment created by the State of Michigan. The fact that Governor Rick Snyder made time to attend the awards banquet, underscores just how committed to the business community both he and our state is,” said John Sammut, Firstronic’s president and CEO.
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Brent Fischthal - Koh YoungSuggested Items
It’s Only Common Sense: Stop Whining About the Market—Outwork It
10/06/2025 | Dan Beaulieu -- Column: It's Only Common SenseWhenever the market hiccups or the industry cycle dips, I hear the same tired chorus: “The market is down. Customers aren’t buying. What can we do? We just have to wait it out.” Nonsense. If you think that by showing up, opening your doors, and waiting for the economy to smile kindly upon you, that success will follow, you are in the wrong business. Worse yet, you’re living in the wrong mindset. Most people don’t want to hear the truth that winners find business in down cycles. Losers blame the economy.
Dan’s Biz Bookshelf: 'A View from the Top: Moving from Success to Significance'
10/02/2025 | Dan Beaulieu -- Column: Dan's Biz BookshelfOnce in a while, a book comes along that reminds you why you started down this road of business and leadership. Zig Ziglar’s "A View from the Top" is that book. It’s not just about business and motivation. It’s about living a life that counts—for your family, your company, your community, and yourself. Ziglar delivers this book in his typical fashion, with the punch of hard-earned wisdom, a bit of humor, and a lot of common sense.
Punching Out: Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition Buyers for PCB/EMS Shops
09/24/2025 | Tom Kastner -- Column: Punching Out!A growing trend in the U.S. is the rise of Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) buyers for every business under the sun. Just as private equity firms have been active in a wide range of industries, ETA buyers have picked up their interest in both PCB and EMS companies.
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
09/12/2025 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007We may be post-Labor Day, but it is still hot-hot-hot here in the great state of Arizona—much like our news cycles, which have continued to snap, crackle, and pop with eye-raising headlines over this past week. In broader global tech news this week, AI and tariff-type restrictions continues to dominate with NVIDIA raising its voice against U.S. lawmakers pushing chip restrictions, ASML investing in a Dutch AI start-up company to the tune of $1.5 billion, and the UAE joining the ranks of the U.S. and China in embracing “open source” with their technology in hopes of accelerating their AI position.
Dan’s Biz Bookshelf: ‘Still Broke: Walmart’s Remarkable Transformation'
09/11/2025 | Dan Beaulieu -- Column: Dan's Biz BookshelfRick Wartzman’s Still Broke: Walmart’s Remarkable Transformation and the Limits of Socially Conscious Capitalism is both a wake-up call and a mirror—showing us things we might not want to admit. He doesn’t come out swinging with anti-corporate rage or idealistic fluff. No, he does something more powerful. He tells the plain, honest, uncomfortable truth, and those with a stake in business, leadership, or the American economy should read this book.