I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

We’re a month into the new year, and so far, so good. I’m just glad to be out of 2020. As Chris Farley said in “Tommy Boy” after his character fell off of a mountain, “What in the hell was that all about?”

This week, we have a variety of news and articles to share, and it’s all positive. We have a new president, and he’s pledging to help American businesses. December PCB sales were up 4.5% over the same period a year ago. Atotech is just about ready to launch an IPO. Sunstone has tweaked its free CAD tool, PCB123, to make it even easier for designers to receive their Gerber files. And columnist John Watson breaks down what we all learned during the chaos that was 2020.

IPC Welcomes President Biden’s 'Buy American' Executive Order
Published January 25

Newly sworn-in President Joe Biden has signed dozens of executive orders in his first week at the White House. There are ongoing arguments, pro and con, about the merits of many of these EOs, but here’s one that we can all get behind. The “Buy American” Executive Order states that it will “close current loopholes” that can hamstring American companies, while helping smaller companies get access to federal contracts, among other things. IPC agrees with this EO, and the organization is asking Biden to continue to support U.S. manufacturers. 

Atotech Commences Initial Public Offering
Published January 25

Time to go public! German specialty chemicals company Atotech is moving forward with an IPO designed to raise about $700 million. The 34 million common shares are expected to bring between $19 and $22 per share. Atotech’s customers include manufacturers of consumer electronics, automotive electronics, and smartphones, as well as communication and cloud computing companies.

Gerber File Option Added to Sunstone's PCB123 Order Process
Published January 26

There are several free PCB design tools available today, and one of the better ones comes courtesy of Sunstone Circuits—PCB 123. Now, PCB123 users no longer have to call or email Sunstone for a copy of their Gerber files. All they have to do is check a box during the ordering process to receive their Gerbers. By giving customers their Gerbers, Sunstone is signaling it’s confident that you’re going to come back again.

Elementary, Mr. Watson: 2020—The Year that Taught Us Resilience
Published January 23

Altium’s John Watson penned a great column about what we all learned in 2020. And let’s face it—as crazy as it was, the trials and tribulations of 2020 made many of our companies stronger and smarter than they’ve ever been. John discusses some of the main takeaways from last year, including the need to be proactive, and that it’s okay to fail.

North American PCB Industry Sales up 4.5 Percent in December
Published January 27

In more IPC news, December’s PCB industry sales were up 4.5% over the same month last year. And PCB bookings shot up 9.2% YOY, and 9.1% over the previous month. In a sign of the resiliency of this industry, the PCB community closed out 2020 on a positive note. Let’s hope we can carry this into 2021.