Robert Boguski, President, Datest

There are circuit boards inside almost every product: toothbrushes, automobiles, televisions, etc. Right now, there are probably a dozen circuit boards within arm's reach. The companies that make these products didn't stop production during the recent component shortage. Instead, the good ones redesigned their boards with available parts. The result was more prototype and production work for us.

We experienced a shortage in raw materials (copper, prepreg, and core material) due to congestion at the ports. Fortunately, we have a stockpile of material on our shelves that allows us to deliver PCBs in days or hours when other shops must wait.

This past year we installed over $2 million worth of new equipment and added 20,000 sq ft to our facilities in Hollister, Ca, and acquired South Coast Circuits in August. That expanded our quick-turn PCB services even further and added more capacity. We will soon be able to offer our customers the smallest HDI manufacturing in the US with the quickest times in the industry.

When the pandemic's effects subside, and the silicon shortage and shipping congestion finally resolve in 2022, we will be well-positioned to fabricate boards with smaller trace/space specifications than ever before.