July 2023 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.
July 2023 Connector Industry News
July 2023 Connector Industry News > Award News
OMRON recognized Heilind Electronics as 2022 Distributor of the Year – Electronic at the 2023 EDS Leadership Summit in Las Vegas. OMRON seeks to contribute to the development of society with the creation of advanced industrial automation, device, and module solutions for social systems, services, and healthcare. Heilind received the award for fiscal year 2022 sales achievements, growth, development, and partnership in reaching these goals. In recognition of Heilind’s achievement, a $5,000 donation will be made to Feed My Starving Children. The award and donation are part of OMRON’s ongoing mission, “To improve lives and contribute to a better society.”
July 2023 Connector Industry News > Partnership, Personnel, & Acquisitions News
Hirose Electric Americas
has named Mark Kojak as president and COO of Hirose Americas, effective June 1, 2023. Kojak has been with Hirose Electric for five years, most recently as chief marketing officer and senior vice president of sales and operations. He replaces Shinya (Sid) Tono, who will be returning to Hirose Electric Co. Ltd. Japan and will assume a new leadership role in the organization. “Throughout his career at Hirose, Mark has established an excellent track record of leading our organization to deliver record-breaking results for the Americas. His in-depth industry knowledge and experience with Hirose’s long-term business strategies are just a fraction of the executive assets he can rely on to achieve our ambitious goals,” said Tono.
PEI-Genesis acquired Czech Republic-based Bel Stewart s.r.o., a leading manufacturer and supplier of state-of-the-art passive systems in the field of data and telecommunication interconnection technologies. The purchase allows the company to better serve a broader range of customers’ needs for passive systems interconnect solutions. The acquisition of the Bel Stewart facility will serve as a value-add production and distribution center to support all PEI manufacturers, enabling PEI’s goal of 48-hour turnaround on a broad range of products. Bel Stewart s.r.o., which will now be known as PEI-Genesis, consists of two divisions, one that operates as a distributor of other connectivity products and the other a manufacturer of copper and fiber cable assemblies serving end markets including telecommunications, networking, banking, and public administration.
ITT Inc. announced the acquisition of privately held Micro-Mode Products Inc., a specialty designer and manufacturer of high-bandwidth radio frequency (RF) connectors for harsh environment defense and space applications. Micro-Mode has been qualified on numerous U.S. space and defense programs for more than 30 years. Its differentiated miniature and high-frequency design capabilities will enhance ITT’s product portfolio and customer base, specifically for long-term defense programs. Micro-Mode holds leading positions in the defense and space connector industries and its high-reliability connectors are the product of choice for many mission-critical applications. The acquisition of Micro-Mode grows ITT’s existing North America connectors platform, which is part of its Connect & Control Technologies (CCT) segment. Micro-Mode provides ITT further access to attractive segments and applications in space and defense, with a total addressable market of more than $4 billion.
DigiKey has partnered with GroupGets to launch the “Get MADE” crowdfunding initiative, a collaboration that promotes and funds hardware creators. This program will allow startups to get hardware funded, produced, and sold on DigiKey’s website. GroupGets is a crowd purchasing platform for group buying technology products that helps businesses and individuals launch their products by promoting, funding, and distributing electronic devices across the world. Via the “Get Made” program, GroupGets and DigiKey will cross-promote qualifying devices through content, design, distribution, and partial funding by DigiKey. Upon successful funding, GroupGets will work with the creators to manufacture the platforms and then DigiKey will list the platforms for sale on its website. Interested creators can learn more about eligibility requirements and apply at www.groupgets.com/getmade.
Auxo Investment Partners has acquired SOS Manufacturing, a manufacturer of specialized wire harnesses, cable assemblies, and complete box builds for customers in the computing, aerospace, agricultural, appliance, automotive, electronics, and food processing industries. The addition, which expands Auxo’s growing wire harness and cable manufacturing platform, comes on the heels of several acquisitions, including Golden State Assembly (GSA), a vertically integrated, complete lifecycle wire/cable assembly and harness manufacturer, as well as Morgan Royce Industries (MRI) and TACK Electronics, manufacturers of custom wire harnesses, cable assemblies, and box builds. Nick Stoner and Dave Rogers, CEO and sales manager for SOS, respectively, will remain in their current roles. Headquartered in Roberts, Wisconsin, SOS manufactures specialized wire harnesses, cable assemblies, heavy power cables, cable braiding, and custom-designed, complex box builds. With decades of electro-mechanical expertise, SOS is known for its ability to integrate wire harnesses into subassemblies through state-of-the-art panel and box builds.
Sabrina Brossard is the new president of the board of directors of Conextivity Group, based in Saint-Prex (Vaud), Switzerland. She succeeded her father Peter Fischer, president since 1999, on June 1. With Jonathan Brossard as CEO since 2016, the third generation of the Fischer founding family thus takes the reins of the Group whose two business activities, Fischer Connectors and Wearin’, are growing rapidly. Peter Fischer said he was delighted to be able to pass on the baton “at the right time,” expressing “his full confidence in Sabrina and Jonathan, whose innovative ideas and ambitious entrepreneurial vision” he praises. Now an honorary member of the board of directors, Fischer is “looking forward to following the group’s future developments as it continues to grow.” Read the full announcement here.
BMW Group has selected Molex’s Volfinity Cell Contacting System (CCS) for its next-generation electric vehicles (EV) class. In development since 2018, Volfinity delivers a reliable and easy-to-implement interface solution that connects cells to the control board in an electric vehicle battery module, eliminating the need for daisy-chained wires. The total solution enables integrated cell sensing features, cell monitoring and balancing, and temperature measurement functions, all designed to meet BMW Group’s functional safety requirements. Molex leveraged in-house and partner design and production expertise to develop its deep cell contacting system experience three years ahead of competitive interconnect suppliers through direct collaboration with plug-in hybrid EV and traditional EV makers, energy storage OEMs, and battery cell and battery pack suppliers.
July 2023 Connector Industry News > Facility News
TE Connectivity has set stronger greenhouse gas reduction goals. After making substantial progress toward its 2030 sustainability goals, TE Connectivity has strengthened its commitment to reduce the company’s environmental impact. As detailed in TE’s annual corporate responsibility report, Connecting our World, the company has raised its goal to reduce Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, those directly generated by TE, by 70% by 2030 (against a 2020 baseline). Additionally, TE set its first-ever goal to reduce Scope 3 emissions, those generated by its external value chain, by 25% by 2032 (against a 2022 baseline). These commitments coincide with a refresh of TE’s One Connected World environmental, social, and governance strategy to reflect the company’s progress and to align with the Science Based Targets initiative, a globally recognized set of environmental best practices. In 2022, TE succeeded in achieving a 34% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions, an increase of the number of sites using renewable energy from 37 to 80 (which now accounts for half of the company’s global energy use), and a 15% reduction in total water withdrawal since 2020. Last year was also marked by increased social commitments, including an ambition to reach 30% women in leadership by 2026, newly formed goals around wellness, and an increased goal to bring STEM education to 10 million people by 2030.
RS Group plc unveiled its ESG Report for 2022/23, detailing its overall strategy, achievements, and future actions required in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG). RS’ overarching business purpose is ‘making amazing happen for a better world’ to deliver results for people, planet, and profit. In November 2021, RS launched its 2030 ESG action plan, entitled ‘For a Better World,’ which has four global goals and 15 ambitious actions for 2030. The approach also supports six of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and lays the foundation for the company’s long-term vision to 2050. A short video explaining RS’ ESG solutions is available here.
July 2023 Connector Industry News > Distribution News
Harwin has added Transfer Multisort Elektronik (TME) to its extensive distribution network. Headquartered in Ustronna, in central Poland, TME has been serving the European electronics market for over 30 years. It has built up a strong business reputation over that time thanks to the high quality of service provided, alongside efficient order fulfillment. The distribution firm has 11 subsidiaries, covering the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, and Romania, while also benefiting from operations in Germany, the UK, Spain, and Italy. The newly signed distribution deal, which covers Harwin’s HRi, BBi and EZi categories, will see TME staff leveraging their long-standing relationships with clients in the industrial automation and avionics sectors, particularly in Eastern Europe. An extensive array of Harwin product lines will be kept in stock at TME’s large-scale logistics center near Łódź, so they are available to customers in the shortest possible time frame.
July 2023 Connector Industry News > Association, Standards, & Certifications
The ECIA Executive committee is pleased to name Tom Flick as the third keynote for the ECIA Executive Conference to be held October 22-24 at the Loews Chicago O’Hare. For the past 25 years, Tom has worked with the world’s most innovative and dynamic organizations such as NASA, Starbucks, Mercedes-Benz, Amazon, American Express, Google, and the Pentagon to lead and navigate through change in a rapidly fluctuating and highly competitive world.
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