Roger Lee, V.P. & General Manager North America, Ellsworth Adhesives

The demand for increased performance and functionality, shorter product life cycles, and escalating labor costs mean that suppliers must deliver economic value. At Universal, we are uniquely positioned to achieve this by providing comprehensive market-focused solutions encompassing process recipe development through back-end assembly automation.

WIn 2015, we continue to see the largest growth opportunities in the mobility, automotive, and advanced medical market segments. Our investments in people, process technology, and product development will be focused on providing the most capable value-driven solutions for these markets.

In 2014, overall electronics assembly equipment sales were up about 15% from 2013. In 2015, we expect continued market growth, moderating some from 2014. Product complexity and rising labor costs will be significant business drivers, escalating the need for highly accurate, flexible automation solutions. The Internet of Things, and its implication for "Factory 4.0" intelligent electronics assembly, will be an increasingly strategic area of discussion for our industry.