Hardware Podcasts

The Way We See It: Day One Wrap with EMSNOW's Eric Miscoll and Koh Young's Joel Scutchfield

EMS@C-LEVEL · 8 Jul 2025 · 12m

What this episode covers

Eric Miscoll of EMSNOW and Joel Scutchfield of Koh Young discuss the state of the electronics manufacturing services (EMS) industry at APEX 2025, highlighting a shift toward reshoring and regionalization as companies move production out of China. They identify a 'missing generation' in the workforce and argue that automation and AI are critical solutions to bridge the talent gap and improve margins. The conversation also touches on the rise of mid-tier EMS companies ($50-200M) as beneficiaries of nearshoring and the increasing transparency in industry quoting processes.

Most relevant to

large enterprises

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
EMSNOW, Koh Young, Creative Electron
Also
APEX 2025

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 32m

    The Hard Truths About Reshoring American Manufacturing w/ Eddy Azad

    Eddy Azad, CEO of Parsec Automation, discusses the strategic realities of reshoring manufacturing to the United States, arguing that it is a long-term, complex process rather than a simple cost-saving switch. He explains that reshoring makes the most sense for high-value, high-tech products like semiconductors and medical devices where supply chain resilience and innovation are critical, rather than for commoditized goods. Azad highlights that while automation and AI can mitigate higher US labor costs, they require robust data infrastructure and end-to-end integration to be effective. He also addresses the impact of AI on the workforce, noting a shift from manual execution to human-in-the-loop oversight and prompt engineering.

    Policy, trade & tariffsAI & machine learning
    8 chapters

  • OnTrack · 32m

    What to Expect at IPC APEX 2025: Standards, Innovation & Networking

    Dr. John W. Mitchell, President and CEO of IPC, discusses IPC APEX 2025, describing it as North America's largest electronics manufacturing event that combines an exhibition, technical conferences, and standards development. He highlights the event's focus on workforce development, including the new Learning Lounge and the Emerging Engineer Program, to address the industry's aging workforce and skills gap. The conversation also covers emerging technologies like Ultra-High Density Interconnect (UHDI) and advanced packaging, noting the challenges of reshoring this capacity to the US despite government investments from the CHIPS Act.

    Manufacturing partners & offshoringHiring & workforce
    8 chapters

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 37m

    Smarter Manufacturing in an Evolving Ecosystem w/ Chris Lupfer

    Chris Lupfer, Director of Indirect Channels at Bosch Rexroth, discusses the critical shifts in manufacturing for 2025, emphasizing the move toward reshoring and the integration of automation to address labor shortages. He highlights the importance of flexible workflows, digital twins for process optimization, and upskilling the workforce to handle collaborative robotics. Lupfer also explains how digital configuration tools and e-commerce platforms are streamlining the B2B buying process for complex industrial solutions.

    Scaling productionHiring & workforce
    6 chapters

  • OnTrack · 22m

    OnTrack PCB Design Podcast 2025 Year in Review

    Host Zach Peterson reviews 2025 industry trends, highlighting how tariffs reshaped global supply chains and spurred UHDI manufacturing expansion in the US. Guests including David Schild, Tyler Richards, and Greg Papandrew discuss the economic realities of reshoring, the technical challenges of high-layer count and rigid-flex PCBs, and the specific innovations in solder paste and substrate materials. The episode also examines the practical application of AI in embedded development and supply chain management, noting both its utility in automating coding tasks and its current limitations in deterministic engineering optimization.

    Sourcing & supply chainAI & machine learning
    12 chapters

  • Manufacturing Happy Hour · 2h 17m

    BONUS: IMTS 2024 Preview with MakingChips, Peter Eelman, and More

    Chris Luecke hosts a roundtable with MakingChips hosts Nick Golner and Jason Zanger, AMT’s Peter Eelman, and other manufacturing leaders to preview IMTS 2024. The group discusses the show's evolution from machine tools to automation and AI, the critical need for AI in preventative maintenance, and the shift toward additive manufacturing for complex geometries. They also address the industry's workforce crisis, highlighting how M&A and new technologies are helping shops scale and attract younger talent.

    Scaling productionAI & machine learning
    9 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.