EMSNOW

EMSNOW and in4ma On Tour 2026 - Limtronik

In this podcast, Eric Miscoll and Dieter Weiss report on a bonus On Tour meeting with Limtronik's Managing Director, Gerd Ohl in Limburg an der Lahn, Germany. After Dieter provides a brief history of the company, the discussion turns to what makes Limtronik unique. They agreed the early adoption of digitalization and Smart Factory capability brings substantial value to its customers and the business. Further, the collaboration with Videoton has given the two organizations deeper and more comprehensive capabilities in Europe. The conversation covers detailed impressions of Limtronik's 'competency and capacity', which are the two sides of any successful EMS value proposition. Dieter and Eric continue to explore the myriad ways to execute on this basic truth about electronics manufacturing.

Insights from in4ma's EMS & PCB Forum 2026

EMSNOW Publisher Eric Miscoll and in4ma's Dieter Weiss exchange impressions from in4ma's EMS & PCB Forum 2026 held in Würzburg, Germany. This exclusive event brings together leaders from the EMS, PCB and investment community to learn and network without commercial distractions. The Forum agenda was presented in both English and German and packed with high level strategic content; the podcast discussion provides an overview of the highlights: The Role of Eastern Europe in EMS, Update on Rare Earth Minerals, The European CHIPS Act, Vertical Integration as a Strategic Advantage, Consolidation in the EMS Market, New Business Models; Digitalization Strategies. EMS and PCB companies of all sizes were represented and the presentations were relevant to the entire group. All 200+ attendees stayed engaged right up to the closing remarks. The networking sessions were equally well received and the feedback since the event has been enthusiastic. Without the distractions of sales people and exhibits, the focus was on relationship-building and increased understanding of the data and insights that will propel the industry forward in the 2026 and beyond.

in4ma & EMSNOW On Tour 2026 - Tour Wrap Up

In this very insightful final conversation of in4ma & EMSNOW's On Tour 2026, Eric Miscoll and Dieter Weiss break down the findings from their in-depth interviews of the nine Nordic EMS companies, representing very different management styles and strategies. The discussion begins with an acknowledgement to the sponsors, and some tour metrics which highlight the challenges of this journey, in terms of logistics and expenses. The sponsors enable this research, which is being offered at no charge to the industry through podcasts and reports on EMSNOW.com. Topics include an overview of the market sectors served by these companies; the general mood of the EMS industry in Europe and what is needed for a return to healthy balance sheets; what surprised the two analysts from these conversations, and some realism about growth prospects for Europe. These two seasoned experts share their nuanced impressions and frank opinions about a wide range of topics that directly impact the current state of the global electronics industry, and the place of Europe's EMS industry in it. Listeners are encouraged to be on the look-out for further reports and updates based on these interviews and the EMS & ODM Global 100 research program. We gratefully acknowledge the following companies who are sponsors of the 2026 in4ma & EMSNOW Tour and research. CalcuQuote: Supply Chain Intelligence for Electronics Manufacturing– Koh Young: Measure Everything, AI Everywhere Mycronic: Bringing tomorrow´s electronics to life TrustedParts.com: Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources

in4ma & EMSNOW On Tour 2026 - Neways

In this their final Nordic EMS industry company analysis, Eric Miscoll and Dieter Weiss travelled to Eindhoven, Netherlands, which has become 'the center of the universe' for electronics. Home to ASML - the essential technology provider for semiconductor manufacturing, and Philips, another key Dutch company, Eindhoven is a hub for advanced complex electronics manufacturing. The team met with executives from Neways, which is #62 on the EMS & ODM Global 100 list. They met with Michiel Van Der Maat, Chief Commercial Officer; Claus-Wilhelm Kirchhelle, New Business Development Manager and Freek Deelen,Corporate head of Strategy & Communications. Neways' business model is very much aligned with Eindhoven's advanced complex electronics emphasis. In fact, they prefer that description to 'electronics manufacturing services' -- although they do have classical EMS as part of their service offering. Dieter recounts Neways' history and markets served, which include semiconductor packaging, e.g. thin and thick film technology, which is enjoying something of a renaissance; defense electronics and 'connectivity' - a category that includes agriculture and medical. The conversation hints at trends to be explored in the summary podcast and report to come; Eric explains that each of the companies chosen for this On Tour contribute to the ongoing EMS & ODM Global 100 analysis. We gratefully acknowledge the following companies who are sponsors of the 2026 in4ma & EMSNOW Tour and research. CalcuQuote: Supply Chain Intelligence for Electronics Manufacturing– Koh Young: Measure Everything, AI Everywhere Mycronic: Bringing tomorrow´s electronics to life TrustedParts.com: Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources

in4ma & EMSNOW On Tour 2026: Connect Group

Speaking from Eindhoven, the Netherlands, Eric Miscoll and Dieter Weiss discuss their earlier visit to Connect Group in Ieper, Belgium. Connect Group is #77 on the EMS & ODM Global 100 list; they met with Jeroen Tuik, CEO; Diëgo Verhaeghe, General Manager, Europe; and Wouter Peene, Operations Manager. As their name would imply, this privately held company started as a cable harness manufacturer, and has since expanded into EMS. Dieter summarizes their acquisition and expansion strategy, including the decision to greenfield a facility in Atlanta, Georgia in the U.S. Market sectors served include automotive and off-road (i.e. agriculture), medical, industrial, infrastructure, railway, and defense. The day of the meeting, the team was celebrating acceptance of an award from Thales Belgium for agility and adaptability, a testament to success in this key market sector. The conversation turns to a very interesting analysis of how the value proposition for EMS in Europe, and elsewhere, has evolved over time. From expertise in equipment and processes to agility in supply chain management, these skillful leaders rise to whatever challenges the electronics industry and the geopolitical environment demand. For now, the focus is on operational excellence to be ready for the next wave of growth. We gratefully acknowledge the following companies who are sponsors of the 2026 in4ma & EMSNOW Tour and research. CalcuQuote: Supply Chain Intelligence for Electronics Manufacturing– Koh Young: Measure Everything, AI Everywhere Mycronic: Bringing tomorrow´s electronics to life TrustedParts.com: Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources

Up Close John Magee, President & Christopher DePaolo, VP of Sales, Freedom USA

in4ma & EMSNOW On Tour 2026 - GPV

Eric Miscoll and Dieter Weiss report in from Belgium where they discuss their earlier meeting outside of Billund, Denmark with Bo Lybæk, CEO of GPV Group. GPV is #40 on the EMS & ODM Global 100 list; the conversation begins with an overview of its aggressive acquisition journey of the past few years, and the current geographical factory footprint. They learn about the current balance of market segments, which is evenly distributed among 'industrial', clean tech, transportation, and measurement and control; this is one EMS in Europe that is not pursuing the defense electronics business. The company is focused on complex, high end assembly. One statistic that stood out for the two analysts was 30% of their programs are less than two years old. They agreed that shorter product life-cycles are unusual for European EMS companies and can be the result of either new customers or increased product development by legacy customers. The team heads to Amsterdam next and then on to Ieper, Belgium and Eindhoven, the Netherlands for the final two EMS visits before traveling to Berlin to wrap this year's tour. We gratefully acknowledge the following companies who are sponsors of the 2026 in4ma & EMSNOW Tour and research. CalcuQuote: Supply Chain Intelligence for Electronics Manufacturing– Koh Young: Measure Everything, AI Everywhere Mycronic: Bringing tomorrow´s electronics to life TrustedParts.com: Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources

in4ma & EMSNOW On Tour 2026 - Mycronic

In a slight departure from the norm for the OnTour visits, Eric Miscoll and Dieter Weiss discuss their visit to tour sponsor Mycronic, which is headquartered in Sweden. They met with CEO Anders Lindqvist and the management team, Göran Frank, head of product management, Thomas Bredin, area sales manager, and Rickard Clark, application engineer. The discussion covers the importance of equipment selection and configuration in executing any manufacturing strategy. For example, using Mycronic's integrated approach is especially effective for low volume/high mix EMS where easy changeover is so critical. The discussion goes into the details of the Mycronic line: stencils to AOI and component storage with the AI driven software to support it. We gratefully acknowledge the following companies who are sponsors of the 2026 in4ma & EMSNOW Tour and research. CalcuQuote: Supply Chain Intelligence for Electronics Manufacturing– Koh Young: Measure Everything, AI Everywhere Mycronic: Bringing tomorrow´s electronics to life TrustedParts.com: Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources

in4ma & EMSNOW On Tour 2026 - Inission

The Tour team discusses a visit to Inission Group's EMS business, which is #99 on the EMS & ODM Global 100 list; they met with Fredric Grahn, Director of Sales and Marketing for the EMS business. This company has executed on a unique growth strategy of aggressive acquisitions over the past decade as it expands the group's business as a power supply OEM by adding EMS capabilities through 11 facilities located in the Nordic region, Eastern Europe, and Tunisia. Eric Miscoll and Dieter Weiss discuss the implications and results of this approach to growth. The two analysts then go into an explanation for why PCBs are in short supply in the industry right now. This is an underreported phenomenon, getting much less attention than the memory shortage. Dieter explains the reason the PCB manufacturers are switching to different materials for boards used by the data centers, and what that means for the rest of the market sectors. The disruption highlights the need for the industry to support European PCB manufacturers. The podcast ends with a preview of the rest of the Nordic On Tour visits. We gratefully acknowledge the following companies who are sponsors of the 2026 in4ma & EMSNOW Tour and research. CalcuQuote: Supply Chain Intelligence for Electronics Manufacturing– Koh Young: Measure Everything, AI Everywhere Mycronic: Bringing tomorrow´s electronics to life TrustedParts.com: Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources

in4ma & EMSNOW On Tour 2026 - Scanfil

Reporting again from Stockholm, Eric Miscoll and Dieter Weiss discuss their visit to Scanfil, ranked #46 on the EMS & ODM Global 100 list. Dieter first provides the background on this 50-year old Finnish-headquartered EMS and its CEO Christophe Sut and then the two dig into its unique business. They described what they learned about the lean, empowered local teams running the specialized factories focused on markets: defense, med-tech, clean tech, energy and the catch-all 'industrial' sectors. Each facility has the appropriate certifications and equipment sets. The conversation turns to the overall trends the team is hearing about as they mark the half-way point on this tour. They have visited five out of the nine Nordic EMS companies scheduled and talked with the CEOs of all five. Some common themes are emerging around challenges of material shortages, geographical differences in terms of product life-cycles and customer expectations, and cautious implementation of AI. But what is becoming clear is there is a remarkable diversity in leadership styles and strategic goals. The team agrees, there is not just one right way to run an EMS in 2026. These leaders are all very successful, in spite of, or maybe because of, their different approaches to management. We gratefully acknowledge the following companies who are sponsors of the 2026 in4ma & EMSNOW Tour and research. CalcuQuote: Supply Chain Intelligence for Electronics Manufacturing– Koh Young: Measure Everything, AI Everywhere Mycronic: Bringing tomorrow´s electronics to life TrustedParts.com: Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources

in4ma & EMSNOW On Tour 2026: Kitron

The in4ma & EMSNOW On Tour team is in Stockholm, reporting on their meeting with Peter Nilsson, Kitron's CEO and the management team at the Kitron Eltech AB (Kungsängen) facility. This facility came under the Kitron umbrella as a result of their acquisition of DeltaNordic earlier this year; Kitron is #49 on the EMS & ODM Global 100 list. Eric Miscoll and Dieter Weiss begin with an overview of this leading Nordic EMS, and then discuss some of the themes from the interview. Kitron is very strong in defense electronics; Dieter notes his latest data show Kitron as the largest defense EMS in Europe. The company also makes power conversion electronics for data centers, IoT and medical devices. Peter emphasizes fast decision-making to his managers, and their growth trajectory reflects strong organic growth. The conversation also includes developing trends in Europe, including shortages of not only memory chips, but PCBs, something that the industry was not expecting. The podcast ends once again with a quick preview of the next few interviews, and gratitude to the sponsors. We gratefully acknowledge the following companies who are sponsors of the 2026 in4ma & EMSNOW Tour and research. CalcuQuote: Supply Chain Intelligence for Electronics Manufacturing– Koh Young: Measure Everything, AI Everywhere Mycronic: Bringing tomorrow´s electronics to life TrustedParts.com: Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources

in4ma & EMSNOW On Tour 2026 - NOTE

Eric Miscoll and Dieter Weiss continue their tour of European EMS with a discussion of two companies emblematic of the current trends in the region. They describe yesterday's tour of the newest PCB manufacturing facility in Europe at TLT in Vilnius, Lithuania and the implications for Europe whose share of the PCB industry has dwindled substantially. After sharing their thoughts about a ride on a 12-seater airplane to Torsby, Sweden (see photo), the conversation turns to Sweden-based EMS NOTE, which is #77 on the EMS/ODM Global 100 list. They met with Johannes Lind-Widestam, CEO; Karin Nicols and Magnus Lundin. The discussion explores the unique characteristics of European EMS management and business strategy which they agree differs markedly from that of EMS in other geographies. They discuss customer engagement priorities, the ideal facility size in terms of employees and revenue; and how companies are responding to market conditions including the shortages driven by resources diverted to the data center build-out. The On Tour team will be in Stockholm for the next four days, expanding their knowledge and insights in preparation for EMSNOW's continuing coverage. We gratefully acknowledge the following companies who are sponsors of the 2026 in4ma & EMSNOW Tour and research. CalcuQuote: Supply Chain Intelligence for Electronics Manufacturing– Koh Young: Measure Everything, AI Everywhere Mycronic: Bringing tomorrow´s electronics to life TrustedParts.com: Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources

EMSNOW and in4ma On Tour 2026 - TLT Manufacturing

This third podcast from in4ma & EMSNOW On Tour 2026 begins with impressions from the morning session of the EIPC Summer conference in Vilnius, Lithuania where Dieter Weiss presented on the PCB industry. He reminded attendees of the value of participating in valid industry research programs, sharing data which is aggregated anonymously and helps guide executives. The conversation turns to the company on the docket for the second visit: TLT Manufacturing. They describe the impressive TLT campus, 'Technology Hill' which has expanded substantially since their last visit. It is a thriving enterprise, with a young workforce, which has grown organically through strategic investment and construction. The data-packed discussion concludes with a preview of tomorrow's agenda. We gratefully acknowledge the following companies who are sponsors of the 2026 in4ma & EMSNOW Tour and research. CalcuQuote: Supply Chain Intelligence for Electronics Manufacturing– Koh Young: Measure Everything, AI Everywhere Mycronic: Bringing tomorrow´s electronics to life TrustedParts.com: Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources

in4ma & EMSNOW On Tour 2026 - InCap

Recorded in a location close to the Munich airport, this analysis of a meeting at InCap's Karlsfeld, Germany facility includes impressions from Eric Miscoll and Dieter Weiss about the unique characteristics of this well run global EMS that came in at #93 on the EMS-ODM Global 100 list. The On Tour team has visited several InCap facilities over the years, including the one in India last fall; all exhibit similarly decentralized management organizations, by design. InCap's CEO Otto Pukk is determined to give shareholders maximum value by delivering a very lean structure where authority is localized and the emphasis is on manufacturing. The company is moving toward vertically integrated manufacturing services, with data management being central to flexibility and resilience. The team travels to Lithuania next and the podcast concludes with a preview of the week's planned meetings. We gratefully acknowledge the following companies who are sponsors of the 2026 in4ma & EMSNOW Tour and research. - CalcuQuote: Supply Chain Intelligence for Electronics Manufacturing– Koh Young: Measure Everything, AI Everywhere Mycronic: Bringing tomorrow´s electronics to life TrustedParts.com: Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources

in4ma & EMSNOW On Tour 2026 - Focus on Nordic EMS

Eric Miscoll and Dieter Weiss discuss the European EMS industry on this kick-off podcast for the 2026 in4ma & EMSNOW On Tour. They outline the details and logistics about this tour focused primarily on Nordic EMS. The conversation is based on in4ma's ever evolving database of 986 EMS companies in Europe, which is now reflecting 2025 revenues; Dieter's data driven insights reveal a disruptive and volatile year as the industry responds to the chip crisis arising from the AI hyperscaler build out. "It will be a difficult and interesting year for the EMS industry," is the consensus. We gratefully acknowledge the following companies who are sponsors of the 2026 in4ma & EMSNOW Tour and research. - CalcuQuote: Supply Chain Intelligence for Electronics Manufacturing– Koh Young: Measure Everything, AI Everywhere Mycronic: Bringing tomorrow´s electronics to life TrustedParts.com: Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources

Up Close with Heriberto Cuevas Velázquez, Sales Manager Team Leader Mexico and South America

EMSNOW learns about Koh Young’s response to new challenges in Mexico and South America from that geography’s team leader Heriberto Cuevas Velázquez. With AI changing everything, he explains, training has taken center stage both internally, and for Koh Young customers. They are investing in classrooms and demonstration centers, and forging new partnerships to attract and retain the highly skilled engineers needed to help Koh Young’s EMS customers become more productive. Demand for training is strong – they are proud of the 900 (!) people they have trained since 2020, representing over 95 companies; that rate has accelerated in recent months. Heriberto goes on to describe the highly competitive, fast-paced and ever-evolving market for inspection equipment in Mexico and South America. He shares insights and examples about Koh Young’s specific positioning as an innovator in ‘the power of data’ which is fundamental to any AI algorithm. We think you will enjoy this discussion about all the rapid developments in this dynamic geography for electronics manufacturing from an industry leader in automated inspection equipment.

Up Close with Sam Mason, Business & Operations Lead – North America, Luminovo

Luminovo's Sam Mason provides EMSNOW with a business update on its activities in North America. This includes new North America-based team members and just announced quoting software features, including Luminovo's rew risk module. With the acceleration of geopolitical disruption and volatility impacting electronic components directly, the ability to monitor the health of each BOM in production is mandatory. Luminovo partners with Silicon Expert to enable part-level early detection of risk to avoid the 'golden screw' dilemma where one part holds up an entire production line. The conversation includes a frank discussion of the 'make or buy' decision process for component supply chain software faced by EMS or OEM manufacturers. When does it make sense to leverage a specialized software solution provider like Luminovo instead of developing the capabilities in-house? While electronics manufacturers must consider the unique capabilities and digital journey of their organization, plugging into the 80 Luminovo engineers that have been building tools to address this for the past 8 years helps an organization avoid the 'little blind spots' that can crop up, Sam cautioned. Sam also explains what he sees as Luminovo's key differentiators in this fast-paced, AI driven development environment. He recommends that those EMS and OEMs struggling with component supply chain challenges do a test drive of their tools on Luminovo.com.

EMS Spotlight: David Cummings, SVP & CCO, Benchmark Electronics

David Cummings, SVP & Chief Commercial Officer, Benchmark Electronics explains his company’s ‘customer obsession’ culture’ and how that resonates with customers building increasingly complex electronic products in a volatile global environment. Benchmark Electronics is listed at #30 on EMSNOW/in4ma’s EMS & ODM Global 100 and recently celebrated 50 years as an outsourcing service provider. David discusses how the industry is rising to the engineering challenges of these complex electronics. Benchmark, he says, operates at the intersection of engineering, supply chain, and manufacturing, and has seen customers increasingly recognize and respect the specialized engineering expertise demonstrated by the EMS industry. In this insightful conversation, David succinctly outlines the strategies needed for what he believes is a very bright future for electronics. “We are investing in and building the muscle that will be needed for the challenges ahead,” he concludes. EMS Spotlight is sponsored by Luminovo.

EMS Spotlight: Mike Buseman, CEO SMTC

EMSNOW continues our ground-breaking EMS Spotlight Series with a conversation with Mike Buseman, CEO of SMTC, a mid-tier EMS with an Americas-based manufacturing footprint. Mike describes their strategy for serving low-to-medium volume, highly complex systems for regulated end markets in the face of the current geopolitical turmoil. Especially interesting are his insights about the ‘defense disruptors’ – non-traditional military/defense customers that are quickly responding to the shift to drone warfare. He also explains their strategy for the cloud/advanced compute market sector and why they are somewhat protected from the memory shortages by their Americas footprint and their nimble ‘tariff-engineered’ solution. He notes the importance of attracting and engaging with employees, and why their people strategy is a key differentiator; how they are using AI for demand planning, contracting and financial analysis; and what the rest of 2026 looks like from his viewpoint. It’s a fascinating look at how a mid-tier EMS can position itself for resilience and supply chain agility. EMS Spotlight is sponsored by Luminovo.

Up Close with Mark Rinehart, Founder and GM, White Horse Laboratories

White Horse Laboratories is on the front lines of the counterfeit component battle, and Mark Rinehart, Founder and Managing Director reports on the increasing sophistication of these bad actors unleashing both old parts being sold as new, and new companies flooding the market with clones. This eye-opening conversation explains how counterfeiters are responding to the shortages in memory in increasingly brazen ways, including posting videos of how to refurbish an old memory device and sell it as new. White Horse Labs considers itself the Guardians of Technological Integrity, helping companies first identify these bad parts and then prevent them getting into electronics. Mark explains in detail exactly what electronics companies are up against in these turbulent times for global manufacturers and what they can do.