JO: Business is terrific on all fronts though the recovery is happening 180 degrees from of what we expected. Typically, we see recovery start in our PCB layout and design area first, then fabrication and then assembly and contract manufacturing. However, this recovery started with an upswing in high reliability contract manufacturing and [PCB] fabrication. Only recently have we seen a recovery on the design and layout side of the business. We foresee demand continuing to increase as we assist our customers in the transition to RoHS-compliance.

Q: What are some of the challenges you've experienced—and continue to experience—when doing business in California?

JO: California is still a difficult place to be a manufacturer. Compared to other states, taxes, fees, regulation and legislation are no picnic. States as close as Washington, Arizona and Nevada are offering incentives to businesses considering making a move to their tax-friendly, manufacturer-friendly locations. In our opinion, California remains the best place in the world to do what we do. Location, location, location…

Hunter Technology is in the business of service, and nothing lends itself to service like being here. Our customers call California home, which is why we are here, and which is why we believe in fighting to make California a better environment in which to do business. We need our OEM customer base to remain and have the opportunity to thrive in California. Silicon Valley is still the land of the best and the brightest—definitely worth fighting for.

We do not view Sacramento Day as a way to advance the interests of Hunter Technology or even of the PCB fabricator or contract manufacturer. Rather, we view it as a forum to make the case for the future of California, its citizens, its businesses, as the greatest state in the greatest country in the world.

Q: Why is lobbying one’s local Congress-member important?

JO: Putting a human face to manufacturing industry here is extremely important. There still seems to be a large contingent in Sacramento that honestly believes that manufacturing is bad for California, that manufacturing is a dirty industry, that manufacturing is the problem. Sacramento Day offers us each a chance to present a one-on-one account of what we do, whom we serve and how it affects society. Those one-on-one sessions also give us a chance to see what is going on from their point of view. Sacramento has gone through nearly as much turmoil as the PCB industry over the past few years, and it has been very interesting to see the changes from the Gray Davis administration to the Arnold Schwarzenegger administration.

My family and I enjoy living in California. We enjoy the parks, the libraries, and other benefits our tax dollars support. I go to Sacramento Day to speak my piece and hopefully get across the fact that if the legislators insist on consistently overspending and over-taxing the businesses which employ its citizens, those business will seek alternative locations. When those OEMs move, we (the manufacturers) move, and when we move the service sector moves. When the jobs move, the workers move, when the workers move, the tax-base moves. When that happens people don’t vote for the incumbents.

Q: How has Governor Schwarzenegger’s presence in California affected business?

JO: His arrival in Sacramento has had an indirect effect on our business in that he appears to have stemmed the tide of businesses flowing out of the state. There are many more struggles ahead, but OEMs are slowly changing their perception of the business environment. Late in the Davis Administration OEMs strictly adhered to the ABCs of site selection (Anywhere But California). While the state is still expensive, the benefits and the optimism for the future far outweigh the negatives.

Q: Why don't more companies attend events like Sacramento Day—especially the larger companies with more clout?

JO: I’ve been asked on multiple occasions why more companies don’t participate, and why we take the time to support this effort when the big, public players don’t support it. It’s a difficult question. I can only venture a guess. Perhaps it is as simple as ‘Someone else will do it’ or ‘I’m not a lobbyist’ or ‘Don’t we have a Government Relations Department?’ Perhaps the lack of a direct and immediate ROI precludes the investment. All I have to go on is my experience, but this much I know: When I mention Sacramento Day to OEMs they appreciate the fact that we are taking the time to make California a better place to do business. It’s just one more effort we make to be more of a partner to our customers. We are not alone in this belief, and a number of the best and the brightest in the industry turn out. Surprisingly, as a percentage of California’s PCB industry, we are well under five percent.

Q: What would you say to someone who is debating on whether or not to attend this event?

JO: The 2006 Sacramento Day event will take place on March 1st and 2nd. You don’t have to be a professional lobbyist. You don’t have to pretend to understand the ins-and-outs of Sacramento. All you have to do is care about supporting legislation and proposals that lower taxes, lessen regulations, and spur investments to make California a business-friendly environment.