Commenting on the new appointment Rose said, “We’re seeing a huge growth in the proportion of components that EMS companies are buying through distribution. The trend is being driven by the need for ever-greater flexibility in locating manufacturing plants where production is most economical and where end customers are best served. Global distributors, like Nu Horizons, have an important role to play in helping EMS companies implement flexible manufacturing strategies; we’re able to respond more rapidly than most component manufacturers.”
Nu Horizons already has a US-based team dedicated to looking after the requirements of EMS providers. Rose has been appointed to ensure that European customers have support within their own time zone.
The appointment comes at a time when some EMS companies are bringing at least some of their manufacturing back from the Far East, notably China, to facilities in Eastern Europe. A combination of competitive labour costs – as rates rise in China – lower freight costs and the attractions of having manufacturing closer to major customers is fuelling the trend.