Catching Up With Alpha Circuit’s Prashant Patel
April 5, 2022 | Dan Beaulieu, D.B. Management GroupEstimated reading time: 4 minutes
There is plenty of evidence that the American PCB industry is going through a revitalization. While a few new companies are being established, others are being rejuvenated as investors gain more interest and confidence in domestic PCB companies. I reached out to Prashant Patel, owner and president of Alpha Circuit I LLC in the greater Chicago area. I wanted to hear about his investment and the unique path he took to owning a PCB shop.
Dan Beaulieu: Prashant, thank you for speaking with me today and congratulations on buying Alpha Circuit.
Prashant Patel: Thank you for the opportunity to talk about my company.
Beaulieu: Alpha Circuit is not a new company, is it?
Patel: No, not at all. The company was founded in 1981 by B.K. Vaghani and stayed in that family until I bought it in January 2021.
Beaulieu: What is your background and why did you buy the company?
Patel: I am a licensed pharmacist. I started with one and grew to own multiple pharmacies. I was quite successful and made a good living but felt I had hit my limit when I started competing with the big box companies. I knew it was not sustainable. Finally, one of [the big box companies] made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.
Beaulieu: What was your motivation for buying a PCB shop?
Patel: There were several reasons. First, I have always been interested in high tech. I also knew many people in the industry here in the greater Chicago area. I talked to them about the possibility of getting involved in a PCB shop. Finally, I believe that the industry has been getting stronger in the past few years and that will continue as Americans look for more domestic PCB sources.
Beaulieu: What are you doing to upgrade the facility?
Patel: We have been working very hard to update the facility, including a brand-new building. We are doing a complete upgrade of all the equipment: new horizontal processing equipment and a new automated insoluble anode plating line. Our next acquisition will be a laser drill and we will start doing more HDI microvia boards. Most importantly, our goal is to find and hire the very best printed circuit board professionals in the industry. Our plan is to be one of the country’s cutting-edge facilities. To date we have hired some top-notch frontend CAM people and process engineers, as well as some very experienced operations professionals.
Beaulieu: Let’s talk about your technology. Would you consider Alpha Circuit a high-tech company?
Patel: No, not yet. It will be a while before I can say that. We can do rigid boards, multilayers, flex, and rigid-flex boards as well metal-backed boards. That’s all good, but I want to do more in high technology.
Beaulieu: Where do you see the technology going in the future?
Patel: What I see is the HDI, sequential lam. Hybrid boards and semi-additive are where the industry is going, and I want to take Alpha there as well.
Beaulieu: Where do you see your company in terms of technology right now?
Patel: I would say that we are currently in the top 20% in the United States, and our goal is to be in the top 5%.
Beaulieu: Now let’s talk about quality. What qualifications, certifications, and registrations do you have and why do these give you an advantage over other companies?
Patel: We have the following: ISO 9001, AS9100, TS16949, ITAR, and UL, of course.
Beaulieu: How does Alpha Circuit compare to other companies?
Patel: We are a small company with personal service. We want to make it as easy as possible for people to buy PCBs from us. Our goal is to be a complete solution for our customers no matter what their needs are. We want to give them all the advantages of a large company with the ease of doing business with a small domestic company. We want to help our customers with everything from design to new product introduction.
Beaulieu: What companies are you best suited to work with?
Patel: We have the right specs and qualifications to focus on the aerospace and automotive industries as well as commercial, lighting, and power supply companies. We offer quick-turn services as well.
Beaulieu: How do you see the market today?
Patel: Obviously there are some challenges with COVID which has affected the supply chain as well as the ability to find the right people. But more customers are looking for domestic PCB suppliers which bodes very well for us. We also offer a global solution and that will get better with the decline of COVID. Overall, I believe that the future of the PCB industry, globally and in the U.S., is bright, which means it is bright for us here as well.
Beaulieu: Prashant, thank you again for talking with me and good luck with the plans for your company.
Patel: My pleasure. Thank you, Dan.
Suggested Items
PCB Market Size to Grow by $29.06B from 2024-2028
05/17/2024 | PRNewswireThe global printed circuit board (PCB) market size is estimated to grow by USD 29.06 bn from 2024-2028, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of over 6.6% during the forecast period.
Material Insight: The Dielectric Constant of PCB Materials
05/17/2024 | Dr. Preeya Kuray -- Column: Material InsightIn the world of PCB design, miniaturization can be achieved by using low dielectric constant (Dk) materials. Low Dk materials can allow for a reduction in thickness while maintaining a given trace width, leading to lower transmission loss and higher density circuitry.
The ICAPE Group Reports Revenue for Q1 2024
05/16/2024 | ICAPE GroupThe ICAPE Group, a global technology distributor of printed circuit boards (PCB) and custom-made electromechanical parts, announced its revenue for the first quarter of 2024.
IPC Releases May 2024 Global Sentiment of the Electronics Supply Chain Report
05/16/2024 | IPCSentiment among electronics manufacturers fell this month, after hitting a new high in April. Despite the decline, sentiment remains historically high according to IPC’s May Sentiment of the Global Electronics Manufacturing Supply Chain Report.
Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2024: Electra's Passion for Inkjet Solder Mask Technology
05/15/2024 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPODon Monn, national sales manager for Electra Polymers, discusses his transition to Electra and the benefits of inkjet solder mask technology. He emphasizes the significance of product passion and understanding customer issues. Don also outlines Electra's mission and expansion plans, and addresses the current state of the PCB market and the importance of education.