DAYTON, OH ― January 2026 ― Libra Industries, a leading provider of systems integration and electronics manufacturing services (EMS), is proud to announce the appointment of Tony Jepson as the new General Manager of its Dallas, Texas facility. With more than 35 years of experience spanning EMS, semiconductor, and OEM sectors, Jepson brings a proven track record of leadership in high-reliability, mission-critical manufacturing environments.

Jepson has built his career in some of the industry’s most respected organizations, holding senior leadership roles at Creation Technologies, Celestica, NEOTech, and Flextronics, as well as engineering and operations management positions at Intel and Micron Technology. His expertise extends across advanced technology manufacturing, aerospace and defense, medical devices, semiconductor capital equipment, and industrial markets.

He holds a BASc in Electronics Technology/Engineering from Boise State University, completed the Executive Management Development Program at the University of Southern California, and earned an MBA from Pepperdine University. He is currently completing his Doctor of Business Administration degree with a dissertation focused on Electronics Manufacturing Services.

As General Manager, Jepson will oversee the continued growth and operational excellence of Libra’s Dallas facility, ensuring efficiency, standardization, and scalability across its SMT, PCBA, and systems integration operations. His global, hands-on expertise in the full product lifecycle spanning design, prototyping, NPI, supply chain, manufacturing, test, and aftermarket services, will further strengthen Libra’s ability to deliver value to its expanding list of world-class customers.

“I am fortunate to join Libra Industries after following the company’s growth, award-winning expertise, technology leadership, and the unique position it holds in the EMS market segment as a systems integrator of high-reliability products,” said Jepson. “I’m excited to apply my global business and manufacturing experience to help drive continued development and standardization of operations, for the benefit of our team and our customers.”

Libra Industries continues to invest heavily in its Dallas facility, adding new equipment and capabilities to serve aerospace, defense, medical, semiconductor, and industrial markets. With Jepson’s leadership, the site is well positioned to deliver even greater performance, innovation, and customer satisfaction.

For more information about Libra Industries and its industry-leading manufacturing services, visit www.libraindustries.com.

SANTA CLARA, CA ― January 2026 ― Absolute EMS, Inc., a six-time award-winning provider of fast turnaround, turnkey contract electronic manufacturing services (EMS), is pleased to announce that it has entered into a strategic contractual agreement with SIIX USA, a Japan-headquartered global manufacturing and trading firm. Under the agreement, AEMS will serve as SIIX’s U.S. footprint including ITAR-compliant manufacturing and U.S. production support, enabling SIIX to extend its global network into the United States, while leveraging AEMS’s existing capacity and certifications.

SIIX describes itself as a “Global Business Organizer” that provides one-stop services – from procurement through logistics and manufacturing – centered on its global network of electronic-parts trading and manufacturing operations. Its business model includes not only PCB mounting and board assembly, but also plastic injection molding and finished product assembly.

With operations spanning 23 overseas sites, including 10 manufacturing plants and 13 offices as of December 2023, SIIX USA brings deep international reach and capacity. This footprint includes a large manufacturing presence in Mexico, which offers strong potential for capacity scaling in collaboration with AEMS’s U.S. operations.

“By aligning our U.S. manufacturing capabilities – anchored in our 4.0 smart factory environment – with SIIX’s global manufacturing and logistics infrastructure, we can offer customers a seamless ‘local‐to‐global’ manufacturing model,” said Doug Dow, COO at Absolute EMS. “Whether a client needs an ITAR-compliant U.S. build or follow-on volume in Mexico or elsewhere, this collaboration delivers flexibility, traceability, and scale.”

Absolute EMS’s facility is equipped to operate at Industry 4.0 standards and emphasizes lean processes and continuous improvement. The company holds ISO 13485 (medical), AS9100D (aerospace) and ISO 9001 certifications, supporting high-precision electronics manufacturing across medical, aerospace, industrial and commercial markets.

Going forward, AEMS and SIIX will jointly offer manufacturing solutions that combine:

• U.S.-based, ITAR-compliant production and engineering support (via AEMS)
• Global capacity and procurement strength (via SIIX’s network of manufacturing plants, including Mexico)
• Multi-process manufacturing capabilities including PCB mounting, plastic molding, module assembly and finished product assembly

For more information about Absolute EMS, visit www.absolute-ems.com.

To learn more about SIIX USA, visit www.siix.co.jp/en.

Phelps, NY – January 14, 2025 – Z-AXIS, a growing provider of electronic design and manufacturing services, has promoted Danielle Sklepik to Design Engineering Manager. Sklepik holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and became a Design Engineer for Z-AXIS in 2011.

Sklepik’s Z-AXIS career began even earlier. During the summers of 2006 and 2007, she worked in Production. Then as a RIT student, she completed three co-op blocks in 2009 and 2010. Sklepik became a Design Engineer for Z-AXIS on March 2, 2011 and served in that role for nearly 15 years.

Aside from six-months as a co-op with Alstom Transportation, Sklepik has spent her entire career with Z-AXIS, which was recently named to the Greater Rochester Chamber Top 100 Companies list. Z-AXIS was founded on October 1, 1989, and celebrated its 36th anniversary last year. The company is nearing completion of a $1.5 expansion and has upgraded all its major manufacturing equipment.

“Employee retention is a key performance indicator at Z-AXIS,” said Michael Allen, president and co-owner of Z-AXIS. “Danielle has enjoyed a lengthy and successful career with us, and we’re confident that the best is yet to come in her new role as Design Engineering Manager.”

Europlacer, a global leader in flexible SMT assembly solutions, has received a 2025 Service Excellence Award (SEA), marking the 12th year in a row the company has been honored. The award, presented to Technical Service Manager Scott Huffman by Mike Buetow – President of PCEA, recognizes Europlacer’s high standards in Pick & Place and Printer service.

The Service Excellence Awards, now in their 33rd year and sponsored by CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY, are based entirely on feedback from customers. Companies are evaluated on areas such as reliability, responsiveness, ease of use, manufacturing quality, and overall value.
Scott Huffman, Technical Service Manager for Europlacer Americas said:

"Receiving the Service Excellence Award is a great recognition of the commitment our service team shows every day. As service engineers, we are on the front line with our customers, and our priority is always to keep their production running smoothly. This award reflects the trust our customers place in us and the teamwork behind every successful service delivery."

Craig Brown, Europlacer Americas Sales Director, added:

"We are delighted to receive this award, as it reflects the consistent level of support and attention we aim to provide our customers - from initial contact and throughout the life of their equipment."

This 12th consecutive award highlights Europlacer’s continued focus on service and support, a key part of the company’s approach to working with electronics manufacturers worldwide.