`Great Inventory Train Wreck' Examines How to Get Components Industry on Track.

Business Editors & High Tech Writers

ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 18, 2002

The Electronic Components, Assemblies & Materials Association (ECA), EBN and iSuppli will co-sponsor a one-day meeting to examine the issues behind inventory overruns in the electronic components industry and what can be done to prevent a repeat of past mistakes. The meeting, called "The Great Inventory Train Wreck of 2001: What Are We Doing to Get Back on Track?," will be held April 23, during the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) Spring Conference at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, D.C.

A morning session, moderated by Steve Cholas, group director of channel programs for CMP Electronics Group, will examine the new dynamics affecting the distribution channel. The session will provide marketing data and viewpoints from EBN and ECA that will help participants explore new distribution models and plan for the future.

Invited panelists in the morning session include Ken Lamneck, Arrow/Richey; Mike Morton, TTI; Steve Littel, Alcatel; Greg Mefford, Vishay; Stephen Villanueva, Flextronics; and Bryan Shirley, Colrud Lowery.

The afternoon session, moderated by Lloyd Kaplan, vice president of iSuppli, will address changing roles and responsibilities within the supply chain, particularly the relationship between OEMs and EMS. iSuppli will provide information from its new inventory and EMS reports, and present market trends from different perspectives within the supply chain.

Invited panelists in the afternoon session include Don Hnatyshin, BreconRidge Manufacturing Solutions; Jim Sutherlin, Sanmina-SCI; Matthew Sheerin, Thomas Weisel Partners; Richard Kotler, Nortel; Dave Laconte, Murata; Brad Turner, TT Electronics; and Mike Kunz, Kunz & Associates.

"This meeting might be the most valuable time anyone in the electronic components industry could spend all year," says Glyndwr Smith, assistant to the CEO and senior vice president of Vishay Intertechnology. "ECA's indexes and reports show that the industry is on an upturn, and it is critical that we address current inventory and supply chain issues to ensure that we maximize our resources and don't fall into the same traps as last year."

The ECA Spring 2002 meeting is held in conjunction with the EIA 2002 Spring Conference, April 22-24. The conference includes the annual government/industry reception and dinner on April 23, with invited guest speaker Vice President Richard B. Cheney, and EIA Medal of Honor recipient Dr. Sidney Harman of Harman International. Invited guest speaker for the Monday luncheon is Senator Joseph Lieberman, and the scheduled speaker for the Tuesday luncheon is General Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Special tours and spouse programs are also offered at the conference.

A full conference program and registration form are available on ECA's web site (www.ec-central.org/SpringConference) or by calling 703-907-7070.

The Electronic Components, Assemblies & Materials Association (ECA) represents manufacturers and producers of passive and active electronic components, component arrays and assemblies, and materials and support services. It is a sector of the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA), comprising more than 2,100 members that represent 80 percent of the $550 billion U.S. electronics industry. ECA members benefit from a dynamic link into a network of programs and activities in areas such as business and technical information, market research trends and analysis, access to industry and government leaders, technical and education training, and others. For more information, visit www.ec-central.org.