Altus Group, a leading distributor of electronics manufacturing equipment in the UK and Ireland, has announced a major expansion of its Redditch headquarters following the acquisition of an adjoining facility that will significantly increase its demonstration, training and customer collaboration space.

The expansion adds approximately 363 m² (3,900 ft²) of additional space and includes the creation of a new customer experience centre, developed in collaboration with its technology partners. The investment will enable Altus to install a complete inline manufacturing solution at the heart of its facility, allowing customers to see first-hand how a full production environment can be configured across SMT assembly, THT assembly, backend production and component management.

The investment follows a period of sustained growth for Altus, with the company increasing its market share and becoming an established long-term partner for electronics manufacturers making new investments. The additional facility will increase demonstration capacity and create dedicated areas for customer training, applications support and collaboration, enabling Altus to further enhance the services it provides across the UK and Ireland.

A key part of this development has been the expansion of Altus' portfolio, which now enables the company to offer a complete turnkey solution for an entire manufacturing facility where required. This broader capability allows Altus to support customers with a more complete view of the production environment, rather than focusing solely on individual machines within it.

Joe Booth, Chief Executive Officer at Altus Group, said: "The acquisition of this additional facility represents another important milestone for Altus and provides us with the space to fully demonstrate our capabilities as a single-source manufacturing partner.

"The new customer experience centre will allow manufacturers to see how an entire production environment can be configured and optimised as one connected process, rather than viewing individual pieces of equipment in isolation.

"It will provide a collaborative environment where customers can evaluate technologies, undertake training, discuss manufacturing challenges and gain a better understanding of how a complete turnkey solution can be tailored to their requirements. Our aim is to create a gold standard facility that reflects how modern electronics manufacturing operates."

The expanded customer experience centre will be located alongside Altus' existing purpose-built headquarters in Redditch, which opened in 2019, and is expected to open in September 2026.

For further information, contact Altus Group at www.altusgroup.co.uk.

PENANG, MALAYSIA – ViTrox Americas is pleased to welcome Eric Cruz to its technical support team. Eric brings more than 20 years of experience in electronics manufacturing, including extensive work in test engineering and inspection technologies.

During his career at Flex in Austin, he held a variety of roles ranging from In-Circuit Test (ICT) to Global Subject Matter Expert for Automated X-ray Inspection (AXI), supporting manufacturing operations and helping solve complex process and equipment challenges.

Several years ago, Eric stepped away from the electronics manufacturing industry to help support his children's career pursuits. During that time, he built and operated a successful business. Now, he has chosen to return to the SMT industry and join the ViTrox Americas team.

In his new role, Eric will support customers with AXI applications while expanding his knowledge of ViTrox's SPI and AOI platforms. As the company continues to grow, he will be based in the Dallas area when ViTrox Americas opens its new office later this year.

Throughout his career, Eric has been known for his hands-on approach to problem-solving and his ability to work closely with customers to find practical solutions. His background includes advanced X-ray inspection, process development, equipment support, and technical leadership across a wide range of manufacturing environments.

"Eric Cruz is yet another fantastic addition to the growing ViTrox Americas team. His experience and enthusiasm to learn, help and grow are infectious. We are fortunate to have him join us," said Richard Osborne, Sr. General Manager of ViTrox Americas.

For more information, visit www.vitrox.com.

ECD announced today that it has hired software engineer Nickolas (Nick) Short to support the company’s product growth and innovation efforts. In his role, Short is focused on enhancing ECD’s profiling software and supporting the broader ECD engineering team on various projects.

Since the inaugural M.O.L.E.® thermal profiler was introduced over 40 years ago, ECD has continued to set the industry standard for data logger ingenuity. M.O.L.E. was the first traveling profiler at its market debut and, just recently, it became the industry’s only touchscreen-controlled profiling hardware. Now, with ECD’s expanded engineering resources, the company is concentrating on software improvements to support a smoother user experience.

“For decades, our M.A.P. software has been the benchmark for electronics, baking, and industrial profiling data robustness,” says ECD President Tara Fischer. “As we look to the future, ECD aims to stay ahead of market need, anticipating requirements to meet the demands of rapidly evolving thermal processes. Nick and the engineering team are designing a software solution that retains the exceptional features of M.A.P., while developing additional customization and data extraction features required for next-generation manufacturing.”

For his part, Short shares that he is laser-focused on exceeding the software functionality objectives, which he thinks ECD’s unique company culture makes possible. “Having worked in larger, more siloed organizations, the collaborative environment at ECD is refreshing,” he says. “While everyone has their individual professional roles, there is a spirit of collective responsibility and shared organizational success, which makes the work exceedingly impactful and rewarding.”

Before joining ECD, Short served in the United States Marine Corps, spent six years at Intel, and worked part-time while simultaneously pursuing his computer engineering degree, which he earned from Portland State University. In his first postgraduate role, Short worked as a software engineer at SawStop, LLC. Short has expertise in test automation, embedded systems, and manufacturing test, with proficiency in multiple programming languages. He is based in ECD’s Milwaukie, OR headquarters.

PENANG, MALAYSIA – ViTrox Americas is pleased to announce the addition of Doug Ennis as Senior Field Applications & Service Engineer, further strengthening the company's technical support and applications expertise across North America.

Ennis brings more than 25 years of experience in electronics manufacturing, with extensive expertise in advanced inspection technologies, applications development, equipment installation, customer support, and process optimization. Throughout his career, he has supported manufacturers implementing and optimizing a wide range of technologies, including Automated Optical Inspection (AOI), X-ray inspection systems, pick-and-place equipment, and other critical SMT manufacturing solutions.

In his role at ViTrox Americas, Ennis will work closely with customers to support the installation, training, optimization, and ongoing success of ViTrox inspection systems. His deep technical knowledge and hands-on experience will help manufacturers maximize equipment performance, improve product quality, and achieve operational excellence.

Prior to joining ViTrox Americas, Ennis spent more than 20 years with Nordson Corporation as a Senior Field Applications Engineer, where he specialized in equipment installations, advanced applications development, customer training, troubleshooting, repairs, evaluations, and demonstrations. Earlier in his career, he served as an Engineering Technician at MC Assembly, where he programmed, maintained, and supported SMT production equipment, AOI systems, and 3D X-ray technologies.

"Doug's extensive industry experience and technical expertise make him an outstanding addition to the ViTrox Americas team," said Sy Creed, Director of Business Development, ViTrox Americas. "His background supporting advanced inspection technologies and helping customers solve complex manufacturing challenges aligns perfectly with our commitment to delivering exceptional service and support. We are excited to have Doug on board as we continue expanding our presence and capabilities throughout the Americas."

"I am excited to be part of the ViTrox team and support a company recognized for its innovation and technology leadership," said Ennis. "I look forward to working with customers to help them maximize the value of their inspection solutions and achieve their manufacturing goals."

The addition of Ennis reflects ViTrox Americas' continued investment in customer success and technical excellence as the company expands support for its growing customer base across the electronics manufacturing industry.

For more information, visit www.vitrox.com.