Jul 01, 2014 IPC — Association Connecting Electronics Industries® today co-hosted congressional visits to Optimum Design Associates (ODA) and JPS Industries Inc. as part of its nationwide effort to educate members of Congress about legislative and regulatory issues that impact the electronics manufacturing industry.
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA-15) visited the ODA facility in Pleasanton, Calif., and Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC-5) toured the JPS Industries plant in Statesville, N.C. The members of Congress met with senior executives and staff, and discussed several important policy issues affecting the electronics industry, including public-private partnerships for manufacturing innovation; export controls; tax policy; and science-based environmental regulation.
Nick Barbin, co-founder and CEO of ODA, expressed his appreciation to Rep. Swalwell. “We are honored to host you here today and greatly appreciate your continued interest in our issues,” he said.
In the manufacturing business for more than two decades, Optimum Design Associates designs and assembles printed circuit boards (PCBs) and has facilities in California, Australia and China.
Gary Wallace, president of JPS Composite Materials, hosted the tour in North Carolina. “On behalf of JPS and IPC, we thank Representative Foxx for her time and interest in our issues,” said Wallace. “America needs policies that help our industry remain competitive, create jobs and foster innovation.”
JPS Composite Materials is a major U.S. manufacturer of formed glass and specialty materials for a wide variety of applications including printed circuit boards. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of JPS Industries, Inc. and operates three facilities in North and South Carolina.
The congressional visits were part of IPC’s “Meet the Policymakers” program, in which IPC government relations staff arrange opportunities for electronics manufacturers to host their elected officials at company locations. Companies interested in hosting a legislator should contact IPC Vice President of Government Relations John Hasselmann at JohnHasselmann@ipc.org.
IPC (www.IPC.org) is a global industry association based in Bannockburn, Ill., dedicated to the competitive excellence and financial success of its 3,500 member companies which represent all facets of the electronics industry, including design, printed board manufacturing, electronics assembly and test. As a member-driven organization and leading source for industry standards, training, market research and public policy advocacy, IPC supports programs to meet the needs of an estimated $2 trillion global electronics industry. IPC maintains additional offices in Taos, N.M.; Washington, D.C.; Stockholm, Sweden; Moscow, Russia; Bangalore and New Delhi, India; Bangkok, Thailand; and Qingdao, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Suzhou and Beijing, China.
»
