# EMS@C-Level 2022 Season, episode 10 - Greg Papandrew of PCB Buying Expert

- Show: [EMS@C-LEVEL](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level)
- Published: 2022-08-29
- Length: 22m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2022-08-29-ems-c-level-2022-season-episode-10-greg-papandrew-of-pcb-buying-expert

## Summary

Greg Papandrew, CEO and Founder of PCB Buying Expert, discusses the current state of the PCB industry, noting that while supply chains are easing and freight lead times have decreased by nearly 50%, domestic capacity remains tight for high-complexity boards. He argues that the CHIPS Act and the proposed Circuit Board Industry Act should focus on incentivizing private investment in high-technology manufacturing (like additive processes) rather than subsidizing basic 2-4 layer production, which China can handle more cheaply. Papandrew highlights a critical pain point where buyers are too overwhelmed by firefighting to optimize total cost of ownership, leading him to propose pull-based consignment inventory models to improve cash flow and supply chain visibility for major OEMs.

## Chapters

- [0:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2022-08-29-ems-c-level-2022-season-episode-10-greg-papandrew-of-pcb-buying-expert#t=7) Introduction: Greg Papandrew and PCB Buying Expert
- [0:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2022-08-29-ems-c-level-2022-season-episode-10-greg-papandrew-of-pcb-buying-expert#t=30) Supply Chain Easing and Freight Lead Times
- [2:52](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2022-08-29-ems-c-level-2022-season-episode-10-greg-papandrew-of-pcb-buying-expert#t=172) PCB Buyer Priorities and Firefighting vs. Optimization
- [4:39](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2022-08-29-ems-c-level-2022-season-episode-10-greg-papandrew-of-pcb-buying-expert#t=279) The CHIPS Act, Tariffs, and Domestic Capacity Issues
- [8:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2022-08-29-ems-c-level-2022-season-episode-10-greg-papandrew-of-pcb-buying-expert#t=500) Incentivizing Private Investment and Greenfield Sites
- [11:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2022-08-29-ems-c-level-2022-season-episode-10-greg-papandrew-of-pcb-buying-expert#t=706) Strategic Focus: High-Tech vs. Commodity Boards
- [14:38](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2022-08-29-ems-c-level-2022-season-episode-10-greg-papandrew-of-pcb-buying-expert#t=878) Pull Systems, Consignment Inventory, and Total Cost of Ownership
- [20:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2022-08-29-ems-c-level-2022-season-episode-10-greg-papandrew-of-pcb-buying-expert#t=1200) Economic Outlook and Cyclical Shopping Behavior

## Topics

- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)
- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- PCB Buying Expert (company)
- CHIPS Act (other)
- IPC (other)
- Circuit Board Industry Act (other)
- Koh Young (company)
- CloudNC (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [The Future of PCB Manufacturing: Tariffs, Supply Chains & More](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-04-18-the-future-of-pcb-manufacturing-tariffs-supply-chains-more) (OnTrack)
- [Inside PCBAA's Fight for American Circuit Board Manufacturing](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-07-30-inside-pcbaas-fight-for-american-circuit-board-manufacturing) (OnTrack)
- [PCBs, Global Innovation Policy & the CHIPS Act](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2024-02-27-pcbs-global-innovation-policy-the-chips-act) (OnTrack)
- [407: Boards Are Like Sandwiches](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2022-03-24-407-boards-are-like-sandwiches) (Embedded.fm)
- [What's In A Name?](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2010-08-07-whats-in-a-name) (The Amp Hour)

## Citing this page

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