Jim Greig, Sales and Marketing Manager - Electronic Materials LORD Corporation

According to Jim Greig, Sales and Marketing Manager - Electronic Materials LORD Corporation, the company sees many indications at this time that the industry is in an under-supply situation and hiring is still slow.

He attributes this situation to a reluctance to invest heavily in case a second economic dip occurs and notes that it is a reality that won’t likely correct itself any time soon.

"Although some markets will be slow to recover, there is great opportunity with new trends and new expectations in terms of performance," said Greig. "In the electronics world, smart phones and smart books -- the convergence of net books and smart phones) and tablet PCs are the new technologies that should help speed up the economic recovery."

Since LORD partners with customers to leverage their expertise in multiple chemistries, the diversity of new applications in the electronics market today shows great promise.

For example, Greig noted that LORD sees an increasing demand for improved thermal management materials particularly in the exploding LED Market. And, in turn, there is a growing desire among consumers for more energy efficient lighting solutions.

Further, Greig noted that interest in solar technologies and applications continues to grow, driving the need and hopefully the breakthrough this year in more flexible polymer solutions that are more in-line with the efficiencies of the crystalline solutions.

"The growth of solar technology also presents new challenges related to thermal management because, as the cells heat up, they lose efficiency," said Greig.