Jesper Lykke, CEO, Viscom Inc.

CalcuQuote has always operated in a digital environment, so the disruption many businesses faced while finding a new way of communicating and collaborating didn’t impact us.

We're very fortunate to have experienced growth throughout COVID, as companies had more bandwidth to introduce change into their supply chain processes and as our online quoting platform was sought as a secure way to give customers the ability to complete self-service quotes while working remotely.

Looking toward 2021, we've come up with two business plans, dependent upon if COVID continues to dominate our lives. If so, then there could be a broader economic slowdown on the horizon. But, if an effective vaccine becomes widely available, then we will spring forward.

Other than the magnitude of the forecast, our strategy remains constant: we are in scale mode, working to bring access to our platform across the globe. Next year has us continuing our expansion with more team members in Europe and eventually, Asia.

In terms of industry outlook, EMS companies are diversified, building products for customers across many sectors. Often, if one industry is experiencing a slowdown, then another one is picking up. 2020 was a good example of that.

Throughout COVID, many EMS companies have been called upon to build ventilators and life-sustaining systems, while the aerospace industry cuts spending on new aircrafts. This diversification is the shock absorber making the EMS industry more stable. However, EMS companies will need to adapt to remain competitive in the modern manufacturing space. Speed and a digitally connected supply chain will become a much more important factor in Europe and North America.