2019 Parrill's Picks and Wendy's Wisdom

For 2019, this annual forecast from Electrocube is served up as a top pick list of what’s over, what’s up, what’s new, and what’s next.

What’s over?

• The downturn of the last five years. (Do we hear a collective, “Yes!”?!) If you’re reading this, it means you weathered its instability and aftermath. Like Electrocube, you’re still in business. We survived!
• The politics. Well, at least being over all the politicking and rhetoric along the entire political spectrum of opinions and ideas. Yes, politics definitely have an influence on us in the manufacturing industry – but not as much as those in politics think.

What’s up?

• The restoration of existing business that previously laid flat. There’s a heightened sense of competitiveness among those of us who still remain standing in the field of passive power components.
• Hiring. Unemployment is conversely at an all-time low since 1961, the year Electrocube began. That means finding truly qualified candidates is no small challenge – especially for the highly specialized positions open within the industry.

What’s new?

• (Dare we say) the end of drastic industry lead times? We don’t expect them to get back to where they were as the entire supply chain has since evolved differently. Many companies just aren’t offering the breadth of products and services they used to, which makes sourcing more difficult. That said, lead times are leveling out.
• Exciting new market signals – such as Tesla’s recent purchase of Maxwell Technology for $218 million – are evidence that evolving technologies will continue to give a boost to the unchanging laws of electronics (and electrical design) – capacitance control. There’s no getting rid of capacitors – at least not any time soon.

What’s next for Electrocube in 2019?

• Slow and steady upward growth is our immediate future – from resurgence in existing business to a more individualized focus on our sales network to new products we have up our design sleeve.
• We’re hiring. And, expert hiring leads to long-term staff retention – a hallmark of our success. This longevity on our production floor translates to ongoing quality for our customers.
• We’re building on our profitable acquisition of Bishop Electronics last year.
• We’ve turned up the volume on our audio capacitor line of business.
• Our sales and marketing team has a strong response to the mounting inquiries from new and existing customers for thought-to-be obsolete components.
• Our lead times are not only leveling out – they’re getting shorter in some cases.

Looking back, we’re proud to have weathered the economic downturn strategically well. What a privilege to be in business for 58 years and thriving. Looking ahead, we’re energized by the economic upturn – ready for the challenges of increased demand, fresh designs and unfolding opportunities.

As always, we’re grateful to all our partners in a profession we’re passionate about – a one-stop source for the design, manufacturing, sales and support of power electronics and passive components in the U.S. Here’s to another great year!