Automotive is the fastest growing market sector for fiber optic connectors.     The market for fiber optic connectors, after years of promising predictions, is finally (really) taking off. From plastic optical fiber (POF) used in automobile communications systems to embedded optics in high-performance computing (HPC), fiber-optic connector use is growing. The largest revenue opportunitiesRead More

Research shows exceptional growth for the automotive connector market, both in the past and future.   The market for automotive connectors has been outstanding in recent years. Pent-up demand for new cars, which resulted from the Great Recession, initially drove the market in the early years of this decade. This was coupled with the growing useRead More

Transportation market sector sales for cable assemblies in commercial aviation continue to ascend, as sales growth is driven by regional air travel.   Bishop tracks 13 companies in the transportation market sector. These companies’ combined sales have grown year over year until the first two quarters of 2015. In 2013, these companies grew 2.6% year over yearRead More

How does the connector industry view itself? According to the Connector Confidence Index, not always well.   Bishop & Associates polls connector industry executives monthly to see how they view the industry’s performance, both current and future. The executives are asked to rate the performance by four regions that are key to the industry: North America,Read More

In the first half of 2015, the connector industry is down almost 5% in US dollars, yet up in foreign currencies. Why?   The connector industry contracted -4.6% in the first six months of 2015 when measured in US dollars. After the strong performance in 2014, it is reasonable to believe that year-over-year growth would beRead More

Medical market sector sales are up 15.3% in 1Q15, driven by the Medtronic/Covidien merger.   Bishop tracks eight companies in the medical market sector. These companies’ combined sales have grown year over year for the past 12 consecutive quarters, ending with 1Q15. These companies grew 3.0% year over year in 2013 and 5.5% in 2014.Read More

Currently, there are more than 1.6 million industrial robots in service worldwide; will that number grow significantly in the next five years?   According to the IFR (International Federation of Robotics), there have been approximately 2.7 million industrial robots shipped worldwide since the 1960s. With a potential service life of 15 years, that means thereRead More

With industrial market sector sales flat in 2014, it’s not surprising that sales across the sector tumbled in the first quarter of 2015.   Bishop tracks 12 companies in the industrial market sector. These companies’ combined sales contracted year over year in the last three quarters ending with 1Q15. In 2013, these companies grew 0.1%Read More

According to Bishop & Associates’ research, the fourth largest connector market will exhibit strong growth over the next five years.   The circular connector market is the fourth largest product market by share of the total worldwide connector market following PCB, application-specific, and rectangular I/O connectors. This share has been relatively stable over the last fiveRead More

Bishop & Associates examined 10 years of connector industry balance sheets, which revealed consistent performance that rewarded investors.   The connector industry grew to almost $53 billion in 2014. It is an industry with a good balance sheet and not a lot of long-term debt. Let’s take a look at some of the stats that supportRead More

As electronic content in cars continued to outpace growth in unit volume, the automotive cable assembly market was up 7.2% in 2014.   Bishop tracks 12 companies in the automotive market sector. This market had six consecutive quarters of year-over-year growth before 4Q14, as measured by these 12 companies’ revenues. In 2013, these companies grewRead More

The connector industry is one of the most profitable subsections of the electronic components industry. Bishop & Associates’ Dave Pheteplace looks at 10 years of connector industry income statements.   The connector industry grew to almost $53 billion in 2014. It is one of the most profitable subsections of the electronic component industries. Let’s take a lookRead More