Marcy’s Musings: From Pitch to PO—The Sales Stack
It’s Only Common Sense: Knowing When to Walk Away
Dan’s Biz Bookshelf: ‘Elevate: Push Beyond Your Limits'
Catching Up with Circuit Connect
November 19, 2015 | Dan Beaulieu, D.B. Management GroupEstimated reading time: 9 minutes
When I met with Circuit Connect President Bob Lazzara and Director of Operations Paul LaLiberte, I was first struck by the passion they both have for their customers, as well as for their customers’ businesses, using the innovation they have today, as well as what they can develop together with their customers. They don’t just invite, but urge their customers to come and visit them in their very well-equipped facility in Nashua, N.H.
When I visited recently, they could not wait to show me some of the boards they had built in conjunction with their customers, from a modular power rail for an M4 carbine and cutting edge wind generator electronics, to a specially developed heavy copper PCB for a company launching a new line of cordless lawn care tools. They pride themselves in making their customers technological dreams come to life.
This is a company that is not afraid to come up with the next best thing. They feel a very unique and admirable sense of obligation to their customers and hence the entire American electronics industry as a whole. This is also a company that thrives by putting their customers first when it comes to the way they do business. I have been known to gripe a bit about companies that refuse to bring the customer to the table when it’s time to talk about how they do business. But in the case of Circuit Connect, the opposite is true. The customer is not just a constant presence at the table, he is actually seated that the head of that table!
Dan: Tell me a little bit about the history of the company—how did the company get started and how long have they been in business, etc.
Circuit Connect: The company was started in 1990, and its roots trace back to CuTronics in Baltimore, if you remember them.
Dan: Sure, Walter Johnston’s company right?
Circuit Connect: Yes, exactly. In fact, the company was started by Walt, Glen Castle and Rick Clutz. Walt later sold his interest to Bob Sites, who subsequently passed his shares to son, Mark. In 2014, Mark sold his shares to co-owner Rick Clutz.
Dan: So now Rick and Glen are the owners?
Circuit Connect: That’s right.
Dan: So it can be said that you guys have pretty deep roots in the East Coast PCB industry.
Circuit Connect: That’s right.
Dan: You have a philosophy that I want you to talk about. Tell me about that.
Circuit Connect: We feel that it is important for us to work with people and companies, enabling them to build the best end products they can build. We like to get involved in a project from the very beginning, when it is right there on the drawing board to help develop the overall product and how the circuit boards fit into it. We find out everything we can about the product, how it is going to be used, what it does, how long they expect it to last, what will the next generation look like, and what their plans are for the product in the future so that we can help with not only the design of the product, but most importantly, the design of the PCBs. Many times, by knowing everything about the end product, we can help their designers create a board package that will fit perfectly into that product and meet all of the company’s needs.
Dan: Man, talk about the customer being at the table. Can you give me an actual example?
Circuit Connect: Yes, absolutely. Here’s one: We worked with one manufacturer in developing a powered rail for the military’s M4 carbine. The device permits a number of electronic devices, such as lasers, range finders and night vision apparatus, to be powered from a single robust source, allowing these units to quickly go from belt-to-barrel and power up and be ready to use in seconds. We developed the boards that went into the rail, working side by side, at the table as you say, making sure that our client had absolutely the best end product possible.
Page 1 of 3
Share on:
Suggested Items
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
07/18/2025 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007It may be the middle of the summer, but the news doesn’t quit, and there’s plenty to talk about this week, whether you’re talking technical or on a global scale. When I have to choose six items instead of my regular five, you know it’s good. I start by highlighting my interview with Martyn Gaudion on his latest book, share some concerning tariff news, follow that up with some promising (and not-so-promising) investments, and feature a paper from last January’s inaugural Pan-European Design Conference.
Elephantech Launches World’s Smallest-Class Copper Nanofiller
07/17/2025 | ElephantechJapanese deep-tech startup Elephantech has launched its cutting-edge 15 nm class copper nanofiller – the smallest class available globally. This breakthrough makes Elephantech one of the first companies in the world to provide such advanced material for commercial use.
Copper Price Surge Raises Alarms for Electronics
07/15/2025 | Global Electronics Association Advocacy and Government Relations TeamThe copper market is experiencing major turbulence in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of a 50% tariff on imported copper effective Aug. 1. Recent news reports, including from the New York Times, sent U.S. copper futures soaring to record highs, climbing nearly 13% in a single day as manufacturers braced for supply shocks and surging costs.
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
07/11/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineThis week, we have quite a variety of news items and articles for you. News continues to stream out of Washington, D.C., with tariffs rearing their controversial head again. Because these tariffs are targeted at overseas copper manufacturers, this news has a direct effect on our industry.I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
Digital Twin Concept in Copper Electroplating Process Performance
07/11/2025 | Aga Franczak, Robrecht Belis, Elsyca N.V.PCB manufacturing involves transforming a design into a physical board while meeting specific requirements. Understanding these design specifications is crucial, as they directly impact the PCB's fabrication process, performance, and yield rate. One key design specification is copper thieving—the addition of “dummy” pads across the surface that are plated along with the features designed on the outer layers. The purpose of the process is to provide a uniform distribution of copper across the outer layers to make the plating current density and plating in the holes more uniform.