Feb 05, 2003
Sacramento, CA � Representatives of printed circuit board shops and suppliers will descend on the California state capital tonight in hopes of convincing legislators that there�s still time to resuscitate the state PCB industry.
According to Dick Crowe, executive director of CCA, about 20 industry and association staff will be on hand to lobby lawmakers tomorrow. The group plans to press the need for the state�s intervention in the migration of manufacturing out of state and, in many cases, offshore.
One expected speaker, Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante, will not make the session, Crowe said. Bustamante apparently has to attend a funeral.
CCA says improved financial and other incentives are in order for state manufacturers to remain. Many firms find California�s tax liabilities and stringent environmental regulations too crippling to permit sustained operations.
The event�s timing is noteworthy: Last week, Hewlett Packard announced plans to close a Roseville, CA, plant that makes servers and storage products and consolidate the manufacturing in Houston. The decision put 500 employees in California either out of work or forced to relocate to save their jobs. The issue should hit home for some lawmakers, as Roseville is near Sacramento.
Despite the presence of major players such as Shipley, the group is characterized by smaller firms, Ambitech, Cirrex, Sprague, and several others among them. �It�s a good group, a mix of fabricators and suppliers,� Crowe told PC FAB.
Some top electronics firms headquartered in the state were notable for their absence, although Crowe refused to point a finger at any company for nonparticipation. �It�s an issue of globalization we�re in,� he said.
Crowe singled out some of the sponsors of the event including Bob Ferguson and Shipley for their �very generous� contributions.
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