February 2025 Connector Industry News

Upcoming industry events, as well as recent award, partnership, promotion, personnel, facility, distribution, standards, association, and certification news from across the connector industry.

February 2025 Connector Industry News

February 2025 Connector Industry News > Personnel & Acquisitions News

Weidmüller Group has appointed Gary Martins as managing director for Canada. Martins  brings an impressive 28 years of experience in the automation industry, making him the ideal leader to drive Weidmüller Canada’s growth and innovation. His distinguished career includes key leadership roles at B&R Automation, Murrelektronik, and Phoenix Contact, where his strategic vision and dynamic leadership consistently delivered outstanding results. Renowned for his ability to transform challenges into opportunities, he has played a pivotal role in fostering business growth and operational excellence throughout his career. Weidmüller Canada is confident that Martins’ leadership will usher in a new era of success, particularly in advancing the company’s position within the industrial connectivity market.

Harwin has appointed Jon Churchill as its new operations director. Churchill  brings over 25 years of experience in similar operational management roles and has established and developed lean, high-performing supply chains across Asia, North America, and Europe. He has a strong track record for optimizing manufacturing and operations to improve efficiency as organizations grow. Prior to joining Harwin, Churchill was general manager and head of operations at Porvair Filtration Group and has held operational leadership positions at several companies. This includes the multinational organizations Xyratex and Seagate Technology, where he oversaw manufacturing, procurement, supply chain, and field services, leading and developing a 1,500-strong team with operations spanning from Mexico and the U.S. to Malaysia and Singapore.

The MIPI Alliance, an international organization that develops interface specifications for mobile and mobile-influenced industries, has appointed Hezi Saar from Synopsys Inc. as chair of the MIPI Alliance board of directors. Saar, who had served as board treasurer since 2016, assumed the chair role from longtime board member Sanjiv Desai, who stepped down in conjunction with his retirement from Intel Corporation. In addition, Gaurav Arora, head of systems architecture, home & health devices at Google LLC, has assumed the role of vice chair role and Thomas Schaeffer, a principal engineer and system architect in Intel’s Client Computing Group, has replaced Desai and assumed the treasurer role. Saar, who joined the MIPI board as Synopsys’ representative in 2016, has more than 30 years of experience in semiconductors and embedded systems. Saar is an executive director of product management at Synopsys, responsible for the company’s mobile, automotive, and consumer IP product lines. Outgoing chair Desai has played an instrumental role since joining the MIPI board as the Intel representative in 2006, first serving as treasurer, then assuming the vice chair role in 2013 and becoming chair in 2022. During his tenure on the board, MIPI specifications have experienced rapid extensibility into multiple industries including automotive, industrial, and the IoT.

HEICO Corporation announced its Sunshine Avionics subsidiary entered into an exclusive license agreement and acquired key assets for the Boeing 777 AIMS (Airplane Information Management System) and Boeing 737NG/P-8/E-7 VIA (Versatile Integrated Avionics) product lines from Honeywell. Sunshine Avionics is part of HEICO’s Flight Support Group. Honeywell’s AIMS, the mission control of the Boeing 777, is an integrated modular avionics system that hosts cockpit integration technology, including primary flight-deck displays and maintenance diagnostics. The VIA is an integrated avionics system of the Boeing 737NG/P-8/E-7 for the flat panel display electronics and software, as well as flight management functions. Since the Boeing 737NG and 777’s launch, Honeywell has been the OEM for both the AIMS and VIA. These systems form the hardware foundation of cockpit avionics, ensuring the safety and efficiency of critical functions with redundancy and fault-tolerance.

February 2025 Connector Industry News > Partnership and Distribution News

Sager Electronics has been designated as a factory-certified value-add reseller for ebm-papst’s cutting-edge air movement solutions and for Sanko Denki, an industry leader in air movement products. The companies join Sager’s value-add reseller roster of power and battery manufacturers, including Advanced Energy, Enersys, MEAN WELL, Panasonic Energy, Power Sonic, Varta, and VOX Power. Sager’s investment in the latest testing and packaging equipment, along with its strong internal engineering team comprised of electrical, mechanical, and manufacturing engineers, has been the foundation of its successful value-add program.

February 2025 Connector Industry News > Association, Standards, & Certifications News

The Northern MN Chapter of WE recently held a networking event and toy drive at DigiKey headquarters in Thief River Falls, Minn.

DigiKey has renewed its annual Platinum Level sponsorship of WE United, formerly Women in Electronics (WE). WE United is a community of leaders at all stages of their careers dedicated to expanding the opportunities for women in the fast-paced electronics industry. “We are proud to invest in the WE United organization since it is a driving force in DigiKey’s continuous efforts to advance women in the electronics and technology industries globally,” said Sabine Patricia Haas, marketing programs manager – EMEA at DigiKey. “The evolution to WE United marks further steps to engage both men and women in learning and awareness of critical issues that women face and is a means to promote a more inclusive and balanced industry.” WE United is a 501(c)3 public charity that provides leadership growth and development, mentorship, networking, thought-leadership events, and resources to advance results in gender parity in the electronics industry and adjacent technology markets.

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