After 56 years, Photocircuits closing down

[old timer]

After reading these last few entries, it is still amazing how EVERYONE that worked for PC was touched in one form or another.....the majority of the employees that worked there had amazing & positive experiences - regardless of what type of 'management' trials/decisions we all endured. The makeup of PC employees consisted of a diverse & international group of talented people - it is sad that there are those that have comments such as 'go back home!'....shame on you!.....Look at the current global ecomony-PC's days were numbered regardless. PC may have had a possible life line had they switched to 100% PROTOTYPE house - we may have ALL still been there.....to those that have found peace after PC - good for you......to those that are still searching - stay strong - you had GOOD TEACHERS!

[Rob Pedrigal]

Andy wrote:

<quoted text>Yeah your the mexicans,hey go back home bendecos.

i just said im one of the Filipino's... who's mexican?? hahaha are u even an american u cant understand english. Know your geography bro.

[ALG]

JE’s big mistake was sticking with U.S. manufacturing presence long after the exodus to China had begun. Although he and the other top manager-owners probably made off well with the closing, they would still be raking it in if they had closed U.S. ops 6-8 years earlier and just out-sourced PC’s business to China and just acted as brokers under the Photocircuits name.

I worked in the PTC plant in the ‘80s for 5 years and still fondly remember them. There was kind of a family type atmosphere before the hyper growth of the ‘90’s. I left for a supplier in ’88 and am still in the industry. I had the opportunity to become familiar with many other PCB shops in the U.S. I also visited PC’s factories in PTC, GC and CR thru the ‘90s up til 2004. When I worked at PC, I thought things there were screwed up. Then I saw other PCB shops….in my opinion, PC’s operations were run, from an operational, quality and safety standpoint, as good or better than any other PC shop in the U.S. Of course there was mismanagement and misrepresentations toward the end but this probably happens in every dying business.

The fact is, even well run PCB shops have been steamrollered by cheap Chinese PCBs. In the U.S. you can have Harvard MBA manage, have Deming as your QC manager, pay your workers nothing, and still lose to the Chinese. It’s called government subsidies and currency manipulation. It is illegal. Washington looks the other way because it benefits political donors, special interest groups and Wall Street. STOP blaming management, imported workers, stupid supervisors, and expansion plans. START pointing the finger at Washington, Wall Street and Asian countries. Until we get angry and start demanding true fair trade, the exodus of jobs and industries to Asia will continue. Look at the Big 3. It’s management, it’s the UAW. Yes, ONLY partially. Japanese automakers get government subsidies and favorable currency manipulation to steal our auto industry. Japanese government pays employee health care while the Big 3 is stuck with our profit-gouging healthcare industry. Washington looks the other way. Asia is booming at OUR expense. It is not right, it is not fair so WE need to speak up. Write your congressmen and ask for true enforcement of international trade rules.

[Mike]

It was interesting reading all the input here. I was in the PCB industry for over 30 years and could have remained if I wanted to relocate to either India or China. No thanks. Photocircuits dominated the PCB industry when I started in it. They were the ones who invented solder mask (PC-401). Unfortunately they have gone the route of MANY other big ones who at one time or another were also in the top 10 or 20 such as: Hadco; Altron; Circuitwise; MicroFab; Continental; PEC; much of TYCO; CircoCraft; and many, many others. Those long ago days were indeed the "good old days" in the PCB industry in the US and it is VERY sad to see them disappear. Much blame lies on our own government who didn't care to protect American industry. Why weren't foreign countries that now house many PCB shops supplying to the US, mandated to have the "same" environmental / waste treatment systems in place that shops had to do here??? Why didn't/hasn't our country ever given incentives to "Buy American" to companies such as they do in Canada???
I personally wish ALL former Photocircuits employees the best of luck in the future and am sad along with all of you to see the demise of the one time/long time industry "leader".

[David]

For all the shortcomings, thanks for the job, John.

[HOA]

OK.

[Former PC PTC]

ALG wrote:

JE’s big mistake was sticking with U.S. manufacturing presence long after the exodus to China had begun. Although he and the other top manager-owners probably made off well with the closing, they would still be raking it in if they had closed U.S. ops 6-8 years earlier and just out-sourced PC’s business to China and just acted as brokers under the Photocircuits name.
I worked in the PTC plant in the ‘80s for 5 years and still fondly remember them. There was kind of a family type atmosphere before the hyper growth of the ‘90’s. I left for a supplier in ’88 and am still in the industry. I had the opportunity to become familiar with many other PCB shops in the U.S. I also visited PC’s factories in PTC, GC and CR thru the ‘90s up til 2004. When I worked at PC, I thought things there were screwed up. Then I saw other PCB shops….in my opinion, PC’s operations were run, from an operational, quality and safety standpoint, as good or better than any other PC shop in the U.S. Of course there was mismanagement and misrepresentations toward the end but this probably happens in every dying business.
The fact is, even well run PCB shops have been steamrollered by cheap Chinese PCBs. In the U.S. you can have Harvard MBA manage, have Deming as your QC manager, pay your workers nothing, and still lose to the Chinese. It’s called government subsidies and currency manipulation. It is illegal. Washington looks the other way because it benefits political donors, special interest groups and Wall Street. STOP blaming management, imported workers, stupid supervisors, and expansion plans. START pointing the finger at Washington, Wall Street and Asian countries. Until we get angry and start demanding true fair trade, the exodus of jobs and industries to Asia will continue. Look at the Big 3. It’s management, it’s the UAW. Yes, ONLY partially. Japanese automakers get government subsidies and favorable currency manipulation to steal our auto industry. Japanese government pays employee health care while the Big 3 is stuck with our profit-gouging healthcare industry. Washington looks the other way. Asia is booming at OUR expense. It is not right, it is not fair so WE need to speak up. Write your congressmen and ask for true enforcement of international trade rules.

Chris, I agree with you 100%. However, JAE's ego was larger thant any building we ever had. China was our demise.
p.s. years and years ago, we worked the router together!!!

[Kin Wu]

No comment...

[Ed Burke]

Photocircuits, just another victim of Bushenomics, and the Bush Depression.

Elect Another Republican ?

Are You Insane ?

[News Hound]

It appears that the wounds of laid-off Photo Circuit workers have not yet healed. I sincerely hope that you guys and gals have found other, better things for yourselves. Keep your heads held high.

[Mike]

There was no way that PC could compete against overseas suppliers for high volume production work. They were beating us by 30% on price 10 years ago and the only thing keep us in the game was quality. It was only a matter of time before Chinese quality came up and when that started to happen PC lost it's compeditive edge.
There are some things which could have been done to hang around longer, but it would have been a much reduced structure and very speciaized. To do this PC would have neede to make a serious effort in process improvement 15 years ago to set themselves up for this. Instead we road the wave into the beach.
Regardless PC would never be the same, just one of several mid to small volume PCB suppliers that have managed to carve out a nitch in this market.

[Chris -]

janet - NC wrote:

I worked at the Photocircuits sister plant in Aquebogue. Those folks were the best to work with/for. When they started laying off in 1985, being single at the time I moved to NC hoping to give a man with a family a chance to work a bit longer. I miss them all. And had high regard for the Swiggets when they came out to visit. I have always hoped that everyone landed in a good place. I loved meeting the folks from Glen Cove. My heart weeps.
PS. I know APD treated their waste water and shipped it out. Glen Cove did not have to for so long. Now that I have cancer, and SO many of the chemicals we used to clean screens and PC boards were just beginning to be found to be cancer causing... oh well. I guess I got out in time to think back fondly of my time with PhotoCircuits and APD. Keep well. j

I also worked at Photocircuits in Aqueboque - over 25 years ago - when they first opened. I now live in NC looking for a job and I am putting in applications for CNC operator. Photocircuits was a great place to work.

[Chris -]

I also worked at Photocircuits in Aqueboque - over 25 years ago - when they first opened. I now live in NC looking for a job and I am putting in applications for CNC operator. Photocircuits was a great place to work. It is so sad to see them close their doors.

[Cape Arosa]

I thought it happened 20+ years ago....When it was dying....

[sms66]

amp wrote:

<quoted text>
your the one that run the company before so what are you talking about,your to blame for some of the problems we had,lack of management comes from you,and yes i also worked there

Yo idiot that was his son's post!!!

[Miracle Worker]

It doesn't matter how you feel about Photocircuits, it gave a lot of people jobs that are not available anymore.