Hardware Podcasts

Koh Young America's Mexico Leader Ramon Hernandez on EMS@C-Level with Philip Stoten

EMS@C-LEVEL · 13 Sept 2023 · 15m

What this episode covers

Ramon Hernandez, Head of Sales & Service for Mexico & South America at Koh Young America, discusses the impact of geopolitical shifts on Mexico's electronics manufacturing sector. He explains how Koh Young addresses critical talent shortages by promoting internal staff and integrating artificial intelligence into their SPI and AOI inspection equipment to reduce operator dependency. The conversation highlights strategic partnerships with customers like IMI, emphasizing how automation and local support enable companies to capitalize on nearshoring trends from Asia.

Most relevant to

companies scaling up

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Koh Young, Koh Young America, IMI
Tools
SPI, AOI

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Manufacturing Executive

    Nearshoring Manufacturing from Asia to Mexico: Risks, Rewards, and Realities w/ Matt Hannula

    Matt Hannula, CEO of Tinker Tin, explains the strategic decision to nearshore manufacturing from China to Mexico, citing quality control, speed, and geopolitical risks as primary drivers. He details how Tinker Tin scaled to $20 million in revenue by leveraging facilities in San Diego and Mexico to serve brands like Boot Barn and Red Bull, avoiding the complexities and hidden costs of overseas shipping. Hannula emphasizes the importance of overcoming cultural 'good enough' mindsets through rigorous engineering standards and building redundant, diversified supply chains to mitigate risk.

    Manufacturing partners & offshoringSourcing & supply chain
    8 chapters

  • OnTrack · 37m

    Mayan-on-Chip: Training Mexico's Next Semiconductor Engineers

    Nasska Medrano of Altium Education and Professor Johan Estrada of the Autonomous University of Yucatán (UADY) discuss the Mayan-on-Chip initiative, a workforce development program in southeastern Mexico designed to train engineers in electronics, embedded systems, and semiconductors. The first cohort exceeded expectations with 72 graduates, addressing the gap between academic theory and industry needs for practical PCB design and semiconductor skills. They highlight how Mexico's national semiconductor plan and nearshoring trends are driving a shift from pure manufacturing to engineering and R&D, requiring coordinated efforts among government, academia, and industry partners like Intel and Microsoft.

    Hiring & workforcePolicy, trade & tariffs
    7 chapters

  • The Circuit · 42m

    EP 135: Talking Semiconductor Recruiting

    Michael Cunningham, founder of Lonergan Partners, discusses the semiconductor recruitment landscape, highlighting a projected talent shortage driven by AI growth and reshoring efforts. He notes that while US fab capacity is growing, it remains a small fraction of global output, and companies are increasingly seeking leaders with deep technical and customer-facing skills. The conversation covers the shift in hiring from pure sales to solution-oriented roles, the importance of soft skills and ownership for career advancement, and advice for both entry-level engineers and executive leaders navigating the current market.

    Hiring & workforceAI & machine learning
    8 chapters

  • The Robo Success Podcast · 35m

    Ep. 15: Can Mexico Become Robotics’ Next Powerhouse? | The Robo Success Podcast

    Aldo Luevano, Chairman and Co-Founder of Roomie IT, explains how his company pivoted from consumer robotics to enterprise AI software due to the difficulty of proving ROI for humanoid robots in Latin America's low-labor-cost market. He argues that Mexico is positioned to become a strategic robotics manufacturing hub for the U.S. by leveraging low tariffs and compliance advantages to produce components like actuators and servo motors, or full robots, avoiding Chinese supply chain risks. Luevano highlights that while R&D capabilities in Mexico are strong, the region lacks the deep-pocketed investors needed for hardware development, making partnerships with U.S. design partners and Silicon Valley investors critical for scaling.

    Robotics & autonomyValidation & product-market fit
    7 chapters

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 29m

    Ally shoring: Expanding manufacturing operations into Mexico

    Alberto Villarreal, founder and managing director of Nepanoa, explains 'ally shoring'—expanding US manufacturing operations into Mexico and Latin America—as a strategic alternative to offshoring to Asia. He outlines key benefits including 50% labor cost reductions, USMCA legal protections, and shared time zones, while noting that over 75% of Fortune 1000 companies already operate in Mexico. Villarreal details the expansion process, from defining strategic intent to navigating financing barriers and workforce demographics, citing success stories like Solar Plastics and a Dallas-based plastic assembler who relocated from China.

    Manufacturing partners & offshoringSourcing & supply chain
    7 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by EMS@C-LEVEL. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.