Catching up with PNC

Estimated reading time: 13 minutes

PNC, headquartered in Nutley, New Jersey, is a unique company. Started in 1968, and then taken over by Sam Sangani in 1996, it has evolved into one of the premier PCB companies on the East Coast, if not the country. Over the years, the company has grown to the point where it now offers circuit design, layout, fabrication and assembly to its customers, making it one of the few total concept under one roof companies in North America.

If there is one word that sums up the company’s philosophy, that word would be convenience. They strive to be as convenient as possible to their customers, always making sure that they are providing their customers with everything they need to succeed. Recently, I had the opportunity to talk to Calvin Switzer, VP of PNC.

Dan Beaulieu: Calvin, tell me a little bit about the company.

Calvin Switzer: The company was actually started in 1968 by a gentleman named Rene Gabbai, and then in 1996 we  bought the company. We saw an opportunity with the current business of original ownership and felt we could increase business by studying each process and upgrading them systematically to increase our technology with new equipment.

Our vision was to become one of, if not the best printed circuit board shops in the Northeast, which we feel we have achieved. Since then, our vision has changed slightly by integrating a circuit design, started in 2004, and assembly division, begun in 2010. These changes were driven by our customer base, especially our assembly division. Over time, when POs were being placed, we were always asked, can we have the PCBs assembled and delivered as a final product? With such a high level of interest, we decided collectively to go in that direction.

Beaulieu: So you provide what I like to call total concept: circuit design, layout, fabrication and assembly?

Switzer: Yes absolutely. So many of our customers were asking us to provide the complete service package that it was an obvious decision to start doing just that. Our President, Sam Sangani, likes to say that we sell convenience, and I think he is correct.

Beaulieu: I agree with Sam. I think today our customers are looking for a more convenient way of doing business and certainly offering total concept under one roof provides convenience, to say the least.

Switzer: PNC’s total concept company makes us very unique in the industry. For those customers looking for efficient and expedited turn times, it’s become a big advantage over our competitors. I’d say most competitors who advertise the same practices actually have to subcontract portions of that work out, which makes turn time efficiency and quality control more difficult to control.

Beaulieu: I consider it a true service for the future, and you have it here today. I am quite sure that in a few years many others are going to follow your lead. Let’s talk some more about your technology. What capabilities do you have at PNC?

Switzer: Our PCB manufacturing capabilities increase with technology demands yearly, including 3/3 trace space; .250 thickness panels; blind and buried vias; controlled depth routing and drilling; controlled impedance; filled vias both conductive and non-conductive; PTH down to .006, using an array of materials from FR-4 to polyimide to Rogers ceramic and PTFF, aluminum clad and a number of hybrids. With regard to controlled impedance, we are seeing the demand for that increasing all the time.

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