NEWS + HIGHLIGHTS Vapor phase soldering representative in Vienna, Austria Asscon Systemtechnik Elektronik GmbH, a manufacturer of vapor phase soldering equipment, has found a new partner for its business in Austria: Stepan GmbH. From now on, they will provide sales, service, and support for the manufacturer’s portfolio of soldering solutions from its HQ in Vienna. The main contact for Austrian customers is Mr. Stefan Kessler, one of Stepan’s general managers and a long-time, experienced SMT expert. “I’m sure that in Stepan we have found a strong business partner in order to localize and develop new market opportunities in Austria and to deliver competent support even quicker to our local customers,” Axel Wolff, the manufacturer’s Head of Sales explains. “A deciding factor for our partnering is their profound knowledge of the industry we are in, as well as the rich expertise their support and service staff has,” he goes on. “And we should not forget that the closely linked international business facilities in Eastern Eu- The main contact for Austrian customers is Mr. Stefan Kessler, one of Stepan’s general managers and a SMT expert. rope are being operated in many cases as an extended work bench for companies with their HQs in Austria.” For several years now Klaus Stepan, Stefan Kessler, and Andreas Höfner have been at the management of this well-respected company with facilities running in Hungary, Croatia, and Slovenia. It can be expected that Asscon will benefit remarkably from the supplier’s extensive market knowledge in its Austrian territory. The representative offers the complete portfolio of vapor phase soldering systems, provides support and service, and is a trustworthy partner for technical advice on the optimum configuration of the equipment. Stepan executive Stefan Kessler comments on this encouraging agreement with satisfaction: “With our well-trained and experienced sales and support team, we assist our clients with the decision for the best-fitting configuration. We can provide our customers with allin-one solutions for maximum production success, and for this purpose we cooperate with market leaders and competent machine suppliers. Just as important as the good quality delivery of the systems is the aftersales backing of the clients by our service and support staff. And of course we also give free-of-charge telephone support for rapid clarification of queries”. www.asscon.de Source: Asscon Systemtechnik Elektronik GmbH Production supervisor to manufacturing manager Mr. Luis Rodriguez has been promoted to Manufacturing Manager. MicroCare Corp. has announced that Mr. Luis Rodriguez has been promoted to the post of Manufacturing Manager. He will be responsible for all the manufacturing processes, including oversight of more than 30 employees. Previously, Mr. Rodriguez was a production supervisor at the company, managing about a dozen individuals. Luis has been with the company for eleven years. He started as a “line tech” filling aerosol products and has consistently excelled at every opportunity with which he has been challenged. “The environment here is a great atmosphere, almost like a family,” Mr. Rodri- Source: MicroCare Corporation guez said. “We’re growing so fast, and the company trusts us with such big responsibilities. We work together and we work hard, and when we complete something it‘s a proud accomplishment for all of us.” Brian King, the Vice President of Operations, feels that Luis epitomizes the characteristics the company seeks in new employees. “Our goal is to help each employee realize his or her full potential through training, setting high expectations and even higher standards, and by developing an atmosphere of trust. We are incredibly proud of Luis as a person and as an employee.” Mr. Rodriguez further said, “MicroCare has allowed me to grow, to learn new skills and advance my career,” he said. “Now I understand that reinvesting in your employees is huge! Hopefully in the future I can provide that opportunity to my employees.” He also hopes to continue to further his career in manufacturing “hopefully with a larger staff, more responsibilities, newer products, and of course more customers!” Prior to working with the company, Mr. Rodriguez worked at Guidas Milk in New Britain and also at Laurel Land Design, a landscaping company in Burlington, CT. He grew up in New Britain and graduated from the E.C. Goodwin Technical High School in 2004. www.microcare.com Giving German companies access to advanced electronic systems VJ Electronix, Inc., a provider of rework technologies, X-ray inspection, component counting systems, has partnered with SmartRep GmbH as its distributor throughout Germany and Austria, offering both sales and technical support capabilities. By partnering together, the company will be able to provide local coverage in a more thorough and responsive manner. The newly appointed distributor is well-known for its understanding of the challenges facing electronic manufacturers. With this partnership, their portfolio has expanded with the addition of automated rework and X-ray inspection systems, which will advance German electronic manufacturing by covering specific application requirements. “VJ Electronix is extremely pleased to have a partnership with one of the most respected distributors servicing the German speaking territories,” says Don Naugler, President. "SmartRep extended the product portfolio with material management concepts in 2017,“ says Andreas Keller, Managing Director. “In VJ Electronix, we found a partner who develops systems that perfectly complete our material handling solutions. In times of the smart factory, this field becomes more and more important and will be very interesting for our customers.“ www.vjelectronix.com; www.smartrep.de/en 10 EPP EUROPE November 2017
