Editorial
Editorial Offices
Trevor Galbraith
Europe Editor-in-Chief
Global SMT & Packaging
Trafalgar Publications Ltd
8 Talbot Hill Road
Bournemouth
Dorset BH9 2JT
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (1202) 388997
E-mail: news@globalsmt.net
Website: www.globalsmt.net
United States
Global SMT & Packaging
PO Box 7579
China feels
Naples, FL 34112
USA
Tel: (239) 567-9736
E-mail: news@globalsmt.net
China
the strain
Global SMT & Packaging
Electronics Second
Research Institute
No.159, Hepin South Road
The Olympics have just ended in spec- automation.
Taiyuan City, PO Box 115, Shanxi, tacular fashion, and the mood among the Meanwhile, on the other side of the
Province 030024, China
local Chinese people is very upbeat—and world, the opposite is true. While Rome
Tel: +86 (351) 652 3813
Fax: +86 (351) 652 0409
justifiably so. (Wall Street) is burning, the EMS industry
At Nepcon South China, there were a is doing steady but repeatable business as-
Editor-in-Chief
number of companies claiming credit for sembling products for the military, medical
Trevor Galbraith
Tel: +44 (0)20 8123 6704 (Europe)
having contributed to the technological and industrial automation sectors. This
Tel: +1 239 567 9736 (US)
display at the opening and closing ceremo- is nice business to have; the margins are
E-mail: editor@globalsmt.net
nies. better and these sectors generally avoid the
Managing Editor
Traffic at the Shenzhen show was good, rollercoaster ride of consumer markets.
Heather Lackey
but there was a definite lack of electricity At IPC Midwest, suppliers were taking
Tel: +1 (828) 231 9434
in the air. The downturn in manufacturing orders on new equipment, with one pick
E-mail: hglackey@globalsmt.net
business, due to the slow consumer mar- and place company booking over US $1.5
China Regional Editor
kets in the west, was obvious. Tradition- million in business at the show. Stories
Lu Shuzhen ally, this is a time when manufacturers are of other CAPEX companies up 80-100%
Tel: +86 (351) 652 3813
ramping up for the Christmas market, but in Q1 and Q2 over last year were not
E-mail: lsz6401@163.com
this year the expectations are low. To some uncommon, and one selective soldering
China Regional Editor - degree this has been offset with an increase company is doubling capacity to cope with
Website & Newsletters
in domestic sales, particularly around the its bulging order book. However, the EMS
Christine Zhang
Tel:+86 13311021565
Olympics. However, with the US market industry in Europe and the United States
E-mail: czhang@globalsmt.net accounting for 25% of the global consumer is unlikely to get off scot-free from the
market, the knock-on effect was clear to recent collapse of banks around the world.
Hungary Regional Editor
Miklós Lambert
see. Unfortunately, the small- to medium-sized
Tel: +36 (30) 3 113 123 Other trends we noticed in South manufacturers are more likely to feel the
E-mail: lambert.jr@elektro-net.hu
China are a move towards increased effects of tightening lines of credit than the
India Regional Editor
automation. Manufacturers are no longer large OEMs and tier one CEMs, and there
Debasish Choudhury
relying on cheap labor as wages rise and are already some signs of this happening.
Tel: +91 120 6453260
the availability of skilled workers becomes At the time of writing, the US Con-
E-mail: dchoudhury@globalsmt.net
more difficult. The effects of many skilled gress are still debating the bailout. Whether
Japan Regional Editor
workers not returning after the Chinese it passes into legislation or not, anyone
Yoshinobu Anbe
New Year, opting instead to find jobs closer familiar with the depths of the US housing
Tel: +81 (0) 45-937-6023
E-mail: anbe@anbesmt.co.jp
to home even if it means lower salaries, are crisis, job losses and tight consumer credit
Korea Regional Editor
still being felt. will know that this will take a long time to
Amy Kim Of course, another driver towards au-
put right. Some optimists think the con-
Tel: +82 (505) 374 2526
E-mail: akim@globalsmt.net
tomation is the increasing miniaturization sumer markets will rebound by Q3 2009.
of boards, components and form factors. Just in time for Productronica!
UK/Ireland Regional Editor The size of components is really moving
Jade Po Kellard
Tel: +44 (0) 1202 388997
beyond the capability of human dexterity Trevor Galbraith.
E-mail: jkellard@globalsmt.net
and forcing manufacturers toward more
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Circulation and Subscriptions
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2 – Global SMT & Packaging – September 2008 www.globalsmt.net
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