So, is electronics contract manufacturing just another commodity? Since I am an owner and CEO of one, it is a question that I ask myself on a daily basis. After lots of thought, I’ve concluded yes, yes Electronics Manufacturing is a commodity. It has been a tough pill to swallow, but I’ve made peace with it.
When talking with friends in and out of the industry, I jokingly say if Amtech was to close shop, there is enough capacity in a radius of 5 miles that the business would be absorbed elsewhere and really not missed at all. So, if we would not be missed in a radius of 5 miles, let alone SE Michigan, the Midwest, USA, North America, or globally, Why continue?
Why Continue? Because we are unique snowflakes, right?
The fact is that there are billions of us, people, we are all unique, right? We all have a place, that uniqueness and place is given to us because that is human condition.
This all begs me to ask, what is Amtech’s Condition? What makes Amtech unique? Who makes Amtech Unique? That is the difference between the great, good, and not so good companies…and people. The leaders, the vision the purpose, the approach is what de-commoditizes all of us, they make us unique and powerful. It is a gift if comes to us naturally, in our business and in our lives, If it doesn’t come naturally, through much struggle we work hard to find them and put it to work for us.
At Amtech we are fortunate we have a great leadership team, a team that knows we cannot do it alone. We reach out and find best practices and practice them. We find coaches and get coached. We find great leaders and get let them elevate us. We strive to be unique and build that culture.
Electronics Manufacturing is a Commodity, but our leadership team and culture says, Amtech is not.