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AWS Electronics’ facility in Slovakia, main hall with SMT line 1 in foreground


work and prototype support is done in the UK, as is through-life support for products that remain in service for 15-20 years. Board assembly plus high-end full box build is also here in the UK. In Slovakia, we have mirror manufacturing facilities to our Newcastle under Lyme factory, including 18 pick-and-place machines and full product build as well as cabling manufacturing in both sites.


The Slovakian economy is excellent and inflation is very stable in our region. Labour costs are also significantly lower than in other parts of Europe, plus our workforce is highly skilled – the Námestovo area was historically where the highest volume of Russian televisions were built as well as a number of other high end electronic manufactured products - so AWS Slovakia is excellently placed as a low-cost, high-


quality volume contract manufacturing facility. Geographically, we are in two really good locations, and as for issues, I don’t see any. Having a global customer base means balancing the currencies we trade in, but that’s about all - my main criteria are to hire the right people and maintain a clear vision. We listen to our customers and help them with their challenges, and looking at the evidence - a growing customer base, expanding facilities and order book, plus multiple accreditations achieved - we are clearly getting it right.


What are the most exciting challenges or changes in the EMS industry at the moment? Do you see any challenges in the future of the EMS industry?


Maintenance, repair and overhaul capabilities www.cieonline.co.uk


We are seeing customers re-shoring volume work from Asia to Europe, as total costs have increased in the Far East. In terms of total costs, we are now price competitive with South Korea, for example and many parts of Malaysia and China. High end projects are also a changing dynamic, and again, we are seeing more opportunities coming back to Slovakia. Responding to today’s challenges in the EMS industry broadly means listening to customers’ concerns. If we make our customer the winner, AWS wins as well. Their concerns now include increased pressure in terms of speed to market in order to gain market share. Many of our customers are choosing to focus on design, letting us provide full


manufacturing support and even in many cases, ship direct to their customers, which smooths out potential bottlenecks and saves time.


What experiences have helped you most throughout your career?


I was very lucky to work in the automotive industry in the 80s and 90s when it was undergoing massive growth and globalisation was taking place, and as a young business person I learnt so much from listening to successful people in senior management. Lear Corporation was the fastest-growing ever Fortune 500 company at the time and that was another massive period of learning about how to manage cost base and customers. The other big influence on my life is my parents, who taught me that you get out from life what you put in and to always work hard and respect and treat others as you would like to be treated yourself. Some of the most valuable learning experiences also come when things go wrong. I’ve always been highly motivated and I find it really exciting to focus on working with customers on challenging products and projects.


You once tried to break into the world of professional football. Are you still very much involved with football?


My older brother, John Deehan, has enjoyed success as a football player, coach


Components in Electronics


and manager. He played for Aston Villa at 18 and later at Norwich City, and I saw that required focus, talent and dedication every single day. I learnt a lot at a young age, about the tough parts of life, about how to be part of a team. Although I’ve got no personal involvement in football now, I’m a massive Aston Villa fan and watch them play whenever I can. They have had challenges in recent times about how the club is run, but have a good owner and excellent manager now.


You do a lot of work with the charity Children Today. How did you become involved with this?


Children Today raises funds for kids with disabilities who need specialist equipment for which Government funding is limited, such as bespoke wheelchairs. I got involved through friends of my brother-in- law, who asked if I would help with fundraising, and every pound we raise goes to the charity. I’ve always been lucky with my health, my three children likewise, so the plight of some of the children with disabilities touched me. I’ve done things like a 60 km off-road bike ride in South Africa, which was tough. The next day, I ached all over and felt absolutely terrible, as did everyone else, then we saw a video of the kids and it reminded us that they are the ones facing challenges every single day.


www.awselectronicsgroup.com December 2016/January 2017 27


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