Author: Philip Hering

“Insulectro Printed Electronics has had a fantastic year distributing DuPont conductive inks and pastes and a wide array of best-in-class substrates,” announced Tim Redfern, President of Insulectro Printed Electronics, “Because of the wide variety of substrates offered and our intention to aggressively market them, I am pleased to announce Jeffrey Crawford coming on board. Jeff comes to us from DuPont Specialty Products where Jeff enjoyed a 21-year career in a variety of key positions. His last six years at DuPont were spent supporting Tedlar® PVF Films, a protective surface product distributed by Insulectro.”

Crawford received his MS degree in chemistry from Drexel University. He received his undergraduate degree in chemistry from Shippensburg University. He is the author of many academic papers and shares a patent on Spin Printing of Electronic and Display Components. During his time at DuPont, Crawford held positions ranging from Materials Scientist, Application Development Specialist (Tedlar®) to Technical Sales Business Development Manager.

“Jeff is the right guy at the right place and right time for Insulectro,” enthused Insulectro Vice President of Sales Kevin Miller. “He has a thorough knowledge of substrates and meshes his science understandings with business development. We look forward to seeing where Jeff can take us.

“With over 20 years in the industry, Jeff has a unique ability to look at problems in different ways. He’s a Six Sigma versatile and efficient professional with leadership training and experience.” Miller concluded.

The company offers products from such premium brands as DuPont (Dupont Teijin Films™, Intexar® wearable stretchable ink systems, Tedlar®, and Kapton®), Coveme, Kodak, 3M, Saint-Gobain, TCI, Sabic, and Chemours. Products include a diverse array of polyester materials, polyimide, FEP, PTFE, and PFA. Insulectro also offers its own line of polycarbonate products under the Clarity™ brand.

In addition to inks and substrates, Insulectro supplies advanced engineered materials manufactured by Isola, DuPont®, LCOA®, CAC, Inc., Pacothane, Focus Tech Chemicals, JX Nippon, TADCO, EMD Performance Materials, InduBond®, Shikoku, Denkai America, Industrial Brush Corporation, Kemmer, and Shur-loc. These products are used by its customers to fabricate complex, multilayer circuit boards and to manufacture printed electronics components. Insulectro serves a broad customer base manufacturing rigid, rigid/flex and flexible circuit boards for applications in a variety of end markets including aeronautics, telecom, data communications, high speed computing, mobile devices, military, and medical. Insulectro combines its premier product offering with local inventory across North America, fabrication capabilities and backed up by expert customer and technical support services.

For further information, please contact:

John A. Lee

Vice President of Marketing & Brand Strategy

Insulectro

949.587.3326   [email protected]

Insulectro has announced major changes in its corporate structure, effective today.

Twenty-one year Insulectro veteran Ken Parent has been promoted to a newly created position of Chief Operating Officer with responsibility for both sales and operations announced Patrick Redfern, Insulectro President and CEO.

“Ken has proven his ability to lead by example, speak up for those who have challenges, encourage his teammates to be their best, and develop talent from within as well as recruit from outside. His vision inspires everyone as he drives incredible results with passion and enthusiasm,” Redfern commented. “He is widely known and respected throughout our industry and has contributed significantly to the strategic direction of the company.

“Ken is the first guy to get on a plane to meet a customer or supplier partner. Currently, he is crisscrossing the United States on a 30-day tour to our distribution centers meeting with customers as he goes. He knows how our industry works at every level, and he is tireless in his work to make it better,” Patrick Redfern stated.

Prior to his promotion, Parent has led both the sales and product management teams.

Redfern continued, “Our announcement today includes the upcoming retirement of Insulectro’s current Vice President of Operations Jeff Mason in February of 2022.  Jeff, a twelve-year teammate, helped bring our operational visions to life and provided insight and expertise to drive our companies forward.  He has demonstrated his drive for continuous improvement and his passion for people consistently during his time here and will be missed.”

Succeeding Mason as Vice President of Operations is Jason Shuppert, current Head of Supply Chain. Since joining the Insulectro team three years ago, Shuppert has demonstrated continual success building a Supply Chain department focused on mitigating the negative impact of disruptions in supply and demand.

Shuppert’s extensive background in Supply Chain Planning includes Operations planning, Forecasting, Demand Planning, Supply Planning, Inventory Management, and other facets of the supply chain.  He has held senior leadership positions with several large companies including ARYZTA, LLC.  Ventura Foods, Land O’Lakes, IPS, and Kimberly Clark before coming Insulectro.  

“Jason has built a strong team that has really benefited our customers. We both share the same vision for what ‘world-class manufacturing,’ operations, and supply chain should look like for our companies,” Redfern stated. “He has the pulse on what’s happening with product availability, and understands our customers’ need to receive materials as rapidly as possible. In his new role, Jason will be able to further impact our service model. Shuppert will report to Ken Parent.”

Assisting Shuppert, Felix Martinez has been promoted to National Director of Operations overseeing Insulectro’s operations in all our branches. Martinez has demonstrated strong leadership in the Lake Forest distribution centers as well as coordinating several transitions for recent acquisitions.

Redfern concluded, “Today’s announcements, all internal promotions, are another step forward for Insulectro, in enabling our customers to build better boards, faster. With such a great team, the future seems unlimited.”

Insulectro supplies advanced engineered materials manufactured by Isola, DuPont®, LCOA®, CAC, Inc., Pacothane, Focus Tech, JX Nippon, TADCO, EMD Performance Materials (Ormet®), Shikoku, Denkai America, Industrial Brush Corporation, Kemmer, InduBond®, and Shur-loc. These products are used by its customers to fabricate complex, multilayer circuit boards and to manufacture printed electronics components. Insulectro serves a broad customer base manufacturing rigid, rigid/flex and flexible circuit boards for applications in a variety of end markets including aeronautics, telecom, data communications, high speed computing, mobile devices, military, and medical. Insulectro combines its premier product offering with local inventory across North America, fabrication capabilities and backed up by expert customer and technical support services.

For more information, contact:

John A. Lee

Vice President of Marketing & Brand Strategy

Insulectro

[email protected]

949.587.3328

“I am pleased to announce the promotion of Insulectro’s Michelle Walsh to the position of VP – Product Management,” commented Patrick Redfern, Insulectro President and CEO, “Michelle has had a long career of 22 years and counting at Insulectro and has been extremely effective working with our supplier base and managing our Product Management and Pricing teams. She has been a tireless “go-to” resource for customers and our sale team.”

Walsh joined Insulectro in 1998 and has held many roles including Technical Service Specialist, Procurement Specialist, Business Analyst Manager, Product Manager for multiple Chemistries and DuPont products, and most recently as Director of Product Management.

Walsh joined DuPont in 1988 as a Process Engineer supporting the manufacture of DuPont’s Stairmaster® Carpet Fiber. She transferred from Waynesboro, VA to California in Technical Service for DuPont before being named Technical Sales Manager in 1998. She graduated from North Carolina State University in 1988 with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering.

“The promotion of Michelle to VP of Product Management is well deserved,” commented Ken Parent, Vice President of Sales, “She has shown distinctive leadership with our internal teams and is well respected by our suppliers.  She is expert in understanding the properties of our ever-expanding product line and a key participant in the development of Insulectro’s corporate strategic plan. This promotion is another step forward for Insulectro, in enabling our customers to build better boards, faster.”

“I please to promote Michelle from within our companies and congratulate her as she takes on her expanded role,” Redfern concluded.

Walsh will remain based out of Insulectro’s corporate headquarters in Lake Forest, CA.

Insulectro supplies advanced engineered materials manufactured by Isola, DuPont®, LCOA®, CAC, Inc., Pacothane, Focus Tech, JX Nippon, TADCO, EMD Performance Materials (Ormet®), Shikoku, Denkai America, Industrial Brush Corporation, Kemmer, InduBond®, and Shur-loc. These products are used by its customers to fabricate complex, multilayer circuit boards and to manufacture printed electronics components. Insulectro serves a broad customer base manufacturing rigid, rigid/flex and flexible circuit boards for applications in a variety of end markets including aeronautics, telecom, data communications, high speed computing, mobile devices, military, and medical. Insulectro combines its premier product offering with local inventory across North America, fabrication capabilities and backed up by expert customer and technical support services.

For more information, contact:

John A. Lee

Vice President of Marketing & Brand Strategy

Insulectro

[email protected]

949.587.3326

“Today we are announcing Insulectro will acquire ECEMS headquartered in New Hampshire,” Insulectro President and CEO Patrick Redfern commented, “This is an exciting opportunity to bring new complimentary product lines into Insulectro’s robust material offerings and to continue the distribution chain of East Coast Electronic Material Supply.”

ECEMS is a regional Distributor for DuPont Process Chemicals and Imaging Film (Utah and eastward), Hubbard Hall waste treatment chemicals, AGFA Silver Film, Kyocera Drills, and All4PCB handling and manufacturing equipment. They also offer drill entry and backer material, lubricated press sheets, and a variety of drill room products, plus, opportunities in chemical milling, and general metal finishing.

ECEMS President John Robinson praises the acquisition, “ECEMS and Insulectro share a similar culture to enable our customers to build better boards, faster. All of our customers can expect to benefit from greater synergies as the respective companies’ strengths and talents are blended. I look forward to new opportunities created by this action.” Robinson will join the Insulectro team as Vice President of Chemistry reporting to Ken Parent, Vice President of Sales and Product Management.

Parent commented, “We welcome John and his team to Insulectro. This acquisition is an important one for our company. Among the other offerings, the DuPont chemistry line significantly advances Insulectro’s goal to offer a complete roster of materials used in the manufacture of printed circuit boards. We continue to enjoy a long-term relationship with DuPont, as distributor for flexible laminates and dry film in North America, and this merger allows us to further serve our best-in-class supplier’s needs while expanding service to customers – existing and new. “

“We look forward to continuing distribution of non-competitive products previously offered by ECEMS,” Patrick Redfern continued, “The ECEMS team will be joining our teammates in our Londonderry, New Hampshire, distribution center while taking advantage of our company’s 11 stocking locations in North America.”

“Expect to hear more from us about this exciting new market opportunity for Insulectro and its customers” Ken Parent concluded, “World-class products from world-class suppliers, delivered at breakneck speed from regional distribution centers, coupled with ‘always there’ customer service – it really is about enabling customers to build better circuits faster.”

Insulectro supplies advanced engineered materials manufactured by Isola, DuPont®, LCOA®, CAC, Inc., Pacothane, Focus Tech Chemicals, JX Nippon, TADCO, EMD Performance Materials (Ormet®), Shikoku, Denkai America, Industrial Brush Corporation, Kemmer, InduBond®, and Shur-loc. These products are used by its customers to fabricate complex, multilayer circuit boards and to manufacture printed electronics components. Insulectro serves a broad customer base manufacturing rigid, rigid/flex and flexible circuit boards for applications in a variety of end markets including aeronautics, telecom, data communications, high speed computing, mobile devices, military, and medical. Insulectro combines its premier product offering with local inventory across North America, fabrication capabilities and backed up by expert customer and technical support services.

For further information, please contact:

John A. Lee

Vice President of Marketing & Brand Strategy

Insulectro

949.587.3326   [email protected]

“I’m pleased to announce that next week we are once again exhibiting at DesignCon in Silicon Valley,” commented Ken Parent, Vice President of Sales and Product Management for Insulectro. “This an extremely important show for us as it serves to acquaint attendees, especially designers and engineers, with Insulectro’s best-in-class product and service offerings.

“At this show, Insulectro will introduce its new Design & Education program. It’s a chance for the entire supply chain – fabricators, designers, engineers, and OEMs – to understand our new, groundbreaking program that connects shops that need design with Insulectro’s consortium of top-flight design houses – San Diego PCB Design and Freedom CAD,” Parent commented.

An important part of Insulectro’s initiative is Education. Insulectro’s program provides the following services:

• Material Recommendations
• Stack-up Suggestions for Flex, Rigid-Flex, HDI, RF, SI, & DFX
• Design Reviews
• Manufacturing Interface
• Design Layout Outsource

Insulectro’s three design experts – Michael Creeden CID+ MIT, Megan Teta CID+, and Chris Hunrath CID+ – will available to discuss the program in detail.

Parent continued, “This is an exciting new initiative for us. We have definitely found a need for what we offer. With the recent hire of well-known design instructor Mike Creeden, the industry is taking notice of what we are doing.

“We’re committed to recruiting and hiring superstar teammates to join an already exceptional team armed with best-of-range products and services. Expert people, outstanding products – it’s a winning combination.”  Parent concluded.

About Insulectro

Insulectro (www.insulectro.com) is the largest supplier of PCB materials used to manufacture circuit boards as well as materials for Printed Electronics. Insulectro combines its premier product offering with local inventory in 10 strategic stocking locations across the country, fabrication capabilities and backed up by expert customer and technical support services.

Our products are used by our customers to fabricate complex, multilayer circuit boards and to manufacture printed electronics components. Insulectro serves a broad customer base manufacturing rigid, rigid/flex and flexible circuit boards for applications in a variety of end markets including telecom, data communications, high speed computing, mobile devices, military, and medical.

For more information, contact:

John A. Lee

Vice President of Marketing & Brand Strategy

Insulectro

[email protected]

949.587.3326