In recent times, the contract manufacturing services market has become more of a commodity space in part due to the increasing complexity and ubiquity of electronic products. The rising pressure on OEMs for reducing costs and declining product lifecycles of electronics have upped the demand for better manufacturing capabilities and related services. In a heavily competitive business space as this, thriving and retaining customers for over 25 years is no mean feat and only service providers who exceed the service level beyond the basic functions, triumph. Versa Electronics is one such company that channels its 40 years of contract manufacturing, electronic manufacturing services, and OEM experience towards achieving its clients’ product lifecycle and business success goals.

The functional evolution of Versa includes the team’s ability to execute diverse projects or phases, such as printed circuit assembly (PCA), wire harness, electromechanical sub-assemblies, complete electronic devices, test, packaging and logistics operations, all under one roof. It involves guiding an idea through product development, and in doing so, addressing the specific product and related business needs of the customer. “The core of our services is founded in manufacturing, however doing so while addressing our customer’s business challenges is central to the value we contribute to their success,” says Tony Zuberbuehler, Sales Manager, Versa Electronics.

The downsizing of electronic products and the subsequent expectations from customers have contract manufacturing services providers preparing for the design and development of increasingly tiny components for the printed circuit assembly. Versa responds to these requirements with capital equipment additions supporting their historic average delivered product quality levels.

We’ve evolved and changed with the industry and with our customers, but it’s our continuing commitment to an intense level of service that keeps them close to us

An example of a customer’s voice supporting this statement includes one of Versa’s clients summarizing their value received through the “Shared responsibility for the high-quality product and working together on all issues. Honestly. Versa helped to improve the PCB”.

While PCA is the cornerstone for Versa Electronics, they cater to the turnkey needs of customers who wish for a complete product built. Effectively, by the end, Versa’s client has a finished product with their name on the box, ready to be shipped to their end customer locations. For instance, a recent OEM prospect in the Audio-Video market became a client while exploring options to on-shore a program that had been built in China for many years. As prevalent in such scenarios, the longstanding supply of this finished product from China resulted in several required components being sourced by Chinese companies as well. One example included a simple electro-mechanical device that the supplier had made obsolete or had otherwise denied supply. Versa’s team was told by the customer that it would take a major effort to find alternative sources for this component. This challenge fuelled an “all-hands-on-deck” effort of Versa’s sales, purchasing, engineering, and operations people working to source the item. It so happened that Kevin Johnsrud, Versa’s CEO, in a business trip out of the country, managed to find a manufacturer and obtained samples that were approved and successfully met the urgent requirement. Through the contribution of everyone onboard, Versa won this business and is set to manufacture the product in the U.S.

With electronic components and products becoming smaller every day and contract manufacturing services becoming a commodity, Versa is working hard to continuously improve and invest substantially in its equipment, its people, and its quality systems with a customer-centric focus. Johnsrud concludes, “We’ve evolved and changed with the industry and with our customers, but it’s our continuing commitment to an intense level of service that keeps them close to us.”