> ERA Quick Connections: Oct. 2023, Vol. 1

October 2023, Volume 1

MANUFACTURING DATA REPORTS

Manufacturing data reports from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) are released at the beginning of every month and can be accessed at ISM. The latest report says economic activity in the manufacturing sector contracted in September for the 11th consecutive month after a 28-month period of growth.

The electrical equipment, appliances and components sector, as well as the computer and electronic products sector, reported contraction in September. Read the full report.

INDUSTRY NEWS

> The next supply chain crisis isn’t a shortage — it’s an “inventory glut,” reports the Harvard Business Review. Read more.

> At one community college in Ohio, students in its semiconductor training program are receiving tuition grants and immediate job offers after graduation, thanks to funding boosts from Intel. Read more.

> Samtec, a designer and manufacturer of electronic interconnect solutions, has opened a new 24,000-sq-ft manufacturing plant in Pennsylvania. Read more.

INDUSTRY TRENDS SURVEY

The October ERA Industry Trends survey is now open and accepting responses from ERA member firms!

Please note: ERA sends this survey monthly to one contact from each ERA member firm via email. Please be on the lookout for this survey in your email inbox. If you don’t see it, check all email folders, including spam. The email will come from no-reply@mail.client.edgewaterresearch.com. If you have questions about who the survey contact is for your organization, or would like to change this contact, please email this request to info@era.org.

If you have been completing the survey monthly, many thanks! Our survey is only made better by a robust and diverse universe of responding companies. Help us make this survey a valuable resource for you and the rest of our members by taking 5 minutes to complete this each month. The results are visible only to ERA members and gives us a great cross-section of what our members see on the horizon for the near and long term.

VIEW 2023 SURVEY RESULTS

ERA NEWS

> The registration deadline for this year’s live STEP program is tomorrow, Oct 11. STEP begins next Tuesday, Oct. 17. Register HERE. Sharpen your sales skills at this virtual sales training program from the comfort of your workspace. View the digital brochure, speaker list, attendee list and agenda. We hope to see you next Tuesday!

> COLT — ERA’s live, virtual chapter officer leadership training program — will take place Nov. 1-3, and registrations are still begin accepted! Chapter officers, or those interested in pursuing a chapter leader role, are encouraged to attend and gain creative ideas and practical knowledge about increasing member engagement and excitement in their local ERA chapter. View more information and register.

FOR YOUR CALENDAR

Browse the searchable ERA Industry Calendar for upcoming national and local chapter events!

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> ERA Quick Connections – Sept. 2023, Vol. 2

September 2023, Volume 2

MONTHLY POS REPORTS

Our base point of January 2021 saw the COVID-19 pandemic beginning to lose steam, resulting in a significant rebound in POS activity. Due to strong growth in 2022, there is the good probability that we will see a slowdown of POS activity in 2023. Outside influences will also affect 2023, including supply chain issues and inflation.

July 2023 was significantly down, it being the lowest month of the year. The last three months aggregated were down about 8 percent when compared to the three previous months. However, that was due in part to extremely low July numbers. The first seven months of 2023 are down about 2.5 percent when compared to the same time last year. It’s too soon to draw any kind of conclusions relative to an overall slowdown for the balance of the year due to July’s low numbers. August will give us a better idea of what to expect for the balance of the year.

Please note that DTAM information is available for anyone wishing to look at larger trends in the industry. For details on Budde Marketing’s services, visit BuddeMarketing.com.

INDUSTRY NEWS

> Amazon announced the launch of Supply Chain by Amazon, an end-to-end, fully automated set of supply chain services. Read more.

> WT Microelectronics, Ltd., announces the acquisition of Future Electronics. Read more.

> The U.S. Senate continues to hold private “insight forums” with various tech leaders to address potentially implementing rules and safeguards around AI. Read more.

ERA NEWS

> ERA members: The results of August’s Electronic Components Industry Trends survey are now available! This survey covers YOUR outlook on key sales trend areas, such as bookings and backlog, end markets, inventory, lead times, pricing and overall outlook for 2023. View August 2023 results. This monthly survey is a benefit to our members to help plan for a strong year end and to give guidance for 2024. Please keep an eye out in your email inbox for the September survey. Fill it out and help ERA make this survey even better with your own company’s input!

> This year’s live STEP program will take place in three short weeks, from Oct. 17-19! Are you registered yet? Sharpen your sales skills with this virtual sales training program from the comfort of your workspace. View the digital brochure, speaker list, attendee list and agenda! Spread the word to your colleagues if they’d like to join us! We hope to see you there.

> 2024 ERA Conference registration has only been open for three weeks, and we are already at 50 percent capacity for attendees! Want to secure your seat at the most popular industry event, and have the opportunity to network with more than 600 rep, manufacturer and distributor leaders? Do not wait. Register now! Show your support for this great event by becoming a sponsor.

> ERA’s official hotel room block at the AT&T Hotel & Conference Center for the 2024 ERA Conference is already sold out. ERA has secured overflow room blocks at discounted rates at two nearby hotels. Find out more information & make reservations.

FOR YOUR CALENDAR

Browse the searchable ERA Industry Calendar for upcoming national and local chapter events!

Follow Us!

> ERA STEP 2023: Announcing Sessions, Speakers & Agenda

ERA is excited to issue the STEP 2023 Digital Brochure, which contains detailed information — including session descriptions, speakers, agenda and more — for ERA STEP 2023, taking place Oct. 17-19.

With sessions covering pertinent topics like 21st century sales prospecting, 13 golden rules of writing attention-grabbing emails, using ChatGPT to improve your sales game, building resilience at work, time management tips and tricks and more — you won’t want to miss it!

What is STEP? ERA’s Sales Training for Electronics Professionals program is a training event where sales reps, manufacturers and distributors can sharpen their sales skills virtually, from the comfort of their own workspace. The program offers frontline sales professionals nine robust 75-minute educational sales training sessions that cover an array of topics. The interactive training sessions will be conducted live by a mix of professional sales trainers and by industry sales executives.

All sessions are recorded and available for anytime on-demand viewing after the event via the STEP library archive. 

Be sure to share with colleagues! We hope to see you there!

Register for STEP 2023.

> ERA Quick Connections – Sept. 2023, Vol. 1

September 2023, Volume 1

MANUFACTURING DATA REPORTS 

Manufacturing data reports from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) are released at the beginning of every month and can be accessed at ISM. The latest report says economic activity in the manufacturing sector contracted in August for the tenth consecutive month after a 28-month period of growth — although a month-over-month increase was a small sign of improvement.

The electrical equipment, appliances and components sector, as well as the computer and electronic products sector, reported contraction in August. Read the full report.

For details on Budde Marketing’s services, visit BuddeMarketing.com.

INDUSTRY NEWS

> Though cost pressures continue to impact the electronics industry, product demand and inventories remain positive, according to IPC’s August 2023 Global Sentiment of the Electronics Supply Chain Report. Read more.

> The U.S. and Vietnam have agreed on billions of dollars in business deals and partnerships led by companies including Boeing, Microsoft and Nvidia, after the two countries have seemingly united in response to China’s growing influence, reports the Financial Times. Read more.

> A new SupplyChainBrain podcast discusses how sanctions and the ongoing trade war between the U.S. and China are affecting the electronics components supply chain. Listen here.

ERA NEWS

> ERA is pleased to announce that TTI Family of Specialists (TTI FOS) is the new exclusive sponsor of ERA’s STEP training for the next four years, beginning with the 2023 STEP event in October. STEP (Sales Training for Electronics Professionals) will be conducted for the third consecutive year on October 17-19 in a live, virtual format. The program aims to provide frontline sales and marketing experts an opportunity to receive updated selling tips to help them navigate these ever-changing times. Read the full press release.

> Join us for TODAY’S ERA LIVE at 4 PM ET, where ERA staff will guide attendees through what’s new at ERA! Hear from us first-hand all the exciting new member services and improvements made at ERA in the past year. No registration required. Read more information and access log-in details.

> COLT — ERA’s live, virtual chapter officer leadership training program — will take place Nov. 1-3, and registration is now open! Chapter officers, or those interested in pursuing a chapter leader role, are encouraged to attend and gain creative ideas and practical knowledge about increasing member engagement and excitement in their local ERA chapter. View more information and register.

FOR YOUR CALENDAR

Click here to browse the searchable ERA Industry Calendar and ERA Chapter Events listings!

> ERA and TTI Family of Specialists Announce STEP Sponsorship

The Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) is pleased to announce that TTI Family of Specialists (TTI FOS) has agreed to be the exclusive sponsor for ERA’s STEP sales training program for electronics professionals for the next four years, starting with the 2023 STEP program.

STEP (Sales Training for Electronics Professionals) will be conducted for the third consecutive year on October 17-19, 2023 in a live, virtual format. The program aims to provide frontline sales and marketing experts from manufacturers’ representative firms, distributors and manufacturers an opportunity to receive updated selling tips to help them navigate these ever-changing times.

“TTI FOS is proud to exclusively sponsor ERA’s STEP training series for the next four years,” said Mike Morton, TTI CEO. “By entering into this partnership, TTI aims to show its continued support for ERA and the rep model. This robust, interactive training program will surely strengthen our entire industry by providing electronics sales professionals an opportunity to sharpen their skillset and learn best practices.”

“I want to thank Mike Morton for his continued support and friendship to ERA,” said Walter Tobin, CEO of ERA. “ERA is most excited and thankful for this commitment from the TTI FOS. This sponsorship will enable ERA to continue to supply best-in-class training for our industry colleagues who deal directly with customers and deliver strong results on a daily basis.”

“ERA is thrilled and humbled to have TTI FOS as our STEP sponsor,” said Ellen Coan, CPMR, ERA senior vice president of education. “This sponsorship will allow ERA to forge ahead with a live, dynamic program with the highest-caliber speakers and sales trainers. We remain steadfast in our goal of providing a valuable, tactically-focused training series for industry professionals.”

STEP is presented live online over a span of three days (three 75-minute sessions per day), allowing attendees to learn from professional sales trainers and industry sales executives from the convenience of their home or workspace. Attendees can expect a unique blend of sessions that will provide useful tactical takeaways, best practices and key tools to succeed in today’s ever-changing market.

Training topics in 2023 will include: elements of making a killer presentation; effective questioning to get more information from the customer; time management tips and tricks; the art of following-up: how to turn a quote into an order; how to use ChatGPT like a pro; and more.

• Register today for STEP.
• View the preliminary STEP agenda.
• Past years’ STEP programs are archived and available at era.org/step.
• The STEP curriculum is developed by an esteemed group of electronics industry experts and peers. View more about the 2023 STEP planning committee.

> ERA Quick Connections — August 2023, Vol. 2

August 2023, Volume 2

MONTHLY POS REPORTS

Our base point of January 2021 saw the COVID-19 pandemic beginning to lose steam, resulting in a significant rebound in POS activity. Due to strong growth in 2022, there is the good probability that we will see a slowdown of POS activity in 2023. Outside influences will also affect 2023, including supply chain issues and inflation.

June 2023 was up significantly and helped to make the quarter and first half of the year bounce back somewhat. June was the second best month of the year, with only March being ahead of June. However, when comparing POS sales against the last quarter, Q2 was down slightly versus Q1 of this year. Semiannual sales versus last year’s first half of the year are also flat.

Please note that Budde Marketing’s DTAM is available for anyone wishing to look at larger trends in the industry. Read the report.

For details on Budde Marketing’s services, visit BuddeMarketing.com.

INDUSTRY NEWS

> The Harvard Business Review reports on how companies should strategize “re-skilling” in the age of AI. Read more.

> Electronics Sourcing reports how independent distributors are managing surplus inventory, offering financial solutions and helping reduce costs post-pandemic. Read more.

> Semiconductors intended for running artificial intelligence (AI) workloads will generate a $53.4 billion revenue opportunity for the semiconductor industry in 2023, a 20.9 percent increase from 2022, reported a Gartner, Inc. study. Read more.

ERA NEWS

> Join us for the next ERA LIVE on Tuesday, Sept. 12 at 4 PM ET, where ERA staff will guide attendees through what’s new at ERA! Hear from us first-hand all the exciting new member services and improvements made at ERA in the past year. No registration required. Read more information and access log-in details.

> Attendee and sponsorship registration are now open for the 2024 ERA Conference! We hope to see you all back in Austin, Texas next February. The 2023 Conference was a sell-out event, and we are expecting another sell-out event this year. If you want to secure your seat, do not hesitate to register! View a preliminary schedule or hotel information.

> ERA announces long-time industry veteran Michael Calabria will join ERA as an Expert Access Consultant and will be involved in STEP and ERA Conference initiatives, as well as be available to ERA members for consulting services. Read more.

FOR YOUR CALENDAR

Click here to browse the searchable ERA Industry Calendar and ERA Chapter Events listings!

> 2024 ERA Conference: Attendee & Sponsorship Registrations Now Open

The 2024 ERA Conference is now open for registration!

We hope to see you all back at the AT&T Hotel & Conference Center in Austin, Texas, on February 25-27.

The 2023 Conference was a sell-out event, and we are expecting another sell-out event this year…so if you want to secure your seat, do not hesitate to register!

Conference sponsorship registration is now open as well. Don’t miss the chance to have your company support the Conference’s robust educational and networking opportunities.

Quick links to get started:

• Attendee registration
• View sponsorship opportunities
• Register your company as a sponsor
• Hotel & venue information
• Conference schedule

Questions about Conference payment? Contact Karin Derkacz, ERA Operations Director.

Questions about the event or sponsorships? Contact Erin Collins, ERA Events Director.

Questions about ERA membership? Contact Ama Derringer, ERA Membership Coordinator.

> ERA Announces 2024 ERA Conference Theme

The Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) is excited to announce that the theme for its 2024 annual education and networking conference is “All Systems Go: Energizing Our Customers’ Experience.”

The planning committee is excited to move forward with a theme that reflects the industry’s enthusiasm, drive and commitment to serving its customers.

“The committee wanted a theme that would encourage and inspire new ideas and perspectives about the professional field sales role in today’s world,” said Adam Anderson, CPMR, Norris & Associates, Inc., Conference Committee Chair. “This year’s theme, ‘All Systems Go: Energizing Our Customers’ Experience,’ is all about looking at our industry through the eyes of today’s customer and working together as manufacturers, distributors and representatives to optimize the value that we deliver each day. I’m very excited to explore this important topic with my colleagues and I look forward to a fantastic conference in February.”

“The center of our business is our customers, and our energy should be focused on enhancing our interaction with them,” said Jeff May, Logix Sales & Marketing, Conference Committee Vice Chair. “This theme summarizes our customer-focused agenda that will stimulate new sales and marketing ideas through educational topics that will invigorate your inner entrepreneurial spirit.”

The 2024 ERA Conference will be ERA’s 55^th national conference and will take place once again at the AT&T Hotel & Conference Center in Austin, Texas, on Feb. 25-27, 2024.

Attendee registration and sponsorship registration for the conference will open shortly. Stay tuned to ERA’s emails, social media and website for details.

> ERA Quick Connections – August 2023, Vol. 1

August 2023, Volume 1

MANUFACTURING DATA REPORTS

Manufacturing data reports from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) are released at the beginning of every month and can be accessed at ISM. The latest report says economic activity in the manufacturing sector contracted in July for the ninth consecutive month after a 28-month period of growth — although it showed slight growth compared to the month of June.

The electrical equipment, appliances and components sector, as well as the computer and electronic products sector, reported contraction in July. Read the full report.

INDUSTRY NEWS

> There may be a shortage of copper on the horizon — what this could mean for electronics engineers and the supply chain. Read more.

> The U.S. Commerce Department announced in early August that it has received more than 460 applications for government semiconductor subsidies, as part of the CHIPS Act signed in 2022. Read more.

> How generative AI could potentially transform the automotive industry — read more.

ERA NEWS

> Registration is now open for ERA’s STEP 2023 (Sales Training for Electronics Professionals), taking place Oct. 17-19. This live, virtual sales training program offers frontline sales professionals nine, 75-minute educational sales training sessions. That’s more than 11 total hours of training! View more information and register.

> COLT — ERA’s live, virtual chapter officer leadership training program — will take place Nov. 1-3, and registration is now open! Chapter officers, or those interested in pursuing a chapter leader role, are encouraged to attend and gain creative ideas and practical knowledge about increasing member engagement and excitement in their local ERA chapter. View more information and register.

> ERA’s new Electronic Components Industry Trends Survey focuses on sales and booking trends, revenue growth trends, pricing outlook, book-to-bill ratios, end markets, inventory, lead times and more. We encourage ERA members to look out for this survey in your email inbox and participate! The latest survey results are now posted.

FOR YOUR CALENDAR

Click here to browse the searchable ERA Industry Calendar and ERA Chapter Events listings!

 

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For Your Calendar

 

> Michael Calabria Joins ERA as an Expert Access Consultant

Michael Calabria

The Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) is pleased to announce that Michael Calabria has joined ERA’s Expert Access Consultant program.

Calabria has had a long and successful career, spanning 45 years. He started his career in 1976 at IRIS Electronics in New York, and spent time at Kierulff Electronics before joining Arrow Electronics in field sales in 1978, covering the Long Island/New York City market.

After seven years in sales and sales management, Calabria progressed to the roles of vice president of headquarters, sales and customer marketing, as well as vice president of military semiconductors. In 1990, he transferred to Colorado as Arrow established a new company, Capstone, which focused on IP&E product. There, he held the roles of senior vice president of product marketing and senior vice president of sales.

Calabria retired from Arrow in 2013, but later came out of retirement in 2015, joining Abracon as chief operating officer and assuming the role of president and CEO in 2016. He retired from Abracon in 2023. He serves on the Board of Directors for MicroTechnologies, a precision manufacturer headquartered in San Jose, Costa Rica, and also serves on the Board of Directors for Impel, a distributor and system integrator of industrial pumps and valves headquartered in Bellevue, Wash. In addition, he continues to serve as an executive advisor supporting Abracon. Calabria lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife Rosa and near his son, ­daughter and five grandchildren.

Calabria plans to become involved in exciting ERA initiatives such as STEP (Sales Training for Electronics Professionals) and the annual ERA Conference. He will also be available to ERA members for consulting about various industry issues as needed.

“I have worked with and known Mike almost all of my professional career,” said Walter Tobin, ERA CEO. “I have always had the utmost respect for the way he runs his business and his ability to balance his career and personal priorities. He is a consummate professional. I am delighted to welcome Mike into our ERA family of consultants and look forward to working with him closely once again.”

For more information on ERA’s Expert Access program, visit: https://era.org/member-resources/expert-access/.

> Registration Now Open for COLT — ERA’s Chapter Officer Leadership Training

Registration is now open for ERA’s Chapter Officer Leadership Training program (COLT), scheduled for Nov. 1–3, 2023!

All ERA chapters leaders, and potential leaders, are encouraged to participate in this dynamic instructional program focused on chapter management and planning tactics.

There is no cost to attend COLT.

REGISTER ONLINE

What is COLT?

COLT is a comprehensive educational program designed to help meet the challenges of serving as an ERA chapter leader. During this virtual training, attendees can expect to gain creative ideas and practical knowledge, such as member recruitment, hosting events, using the tools available on the ERA website and organizing educational sessions, all to help chapter leaders elevate chapter activities and networking opportunities.

If you are already in an active chapter leadership role or are interested in pursuing one, talk to your board about attending this valuable training program where you can learn from other chapter leaders.

Preliminary Schedule of Events

All sessions to be hosted via Zoom. All times listed are Eastern Time.

Wed., Nov. 1               12:00 – 3:00 p.m. COLT review

Thurs., Nov. 2             12:00 – 3:00 p.m. ERA website review, legal presentation

Fri., Nov. 3                  12:00 – 2:30 p.m. Mock chapter event presentations

Please note: Chapter leaders who complete COLT this year will receive one complimentary attendee registration for the 2024 ERA Conference, scheduled for Feb. 25-27 in Austin, Texas. This benefit is non-transferrable and only (1) complimentary registration allotted PER CHAPTER.

Also, please note: If you currently do not hold a chapter officer position, but are interested in attending COLT, please contact your chapter leadership to inform them of your intent to attend and get approval.   

> ERA Quick Connections – July 2023, Vol. 2

July 2023, Volume 2

MONTHLY POS REPORTS

Our base point of January 2021 saw the COVID-19 pandemic beginning to lose steam, resulting in a significant rebound in POS activity. Due to strong growth in 2022, there is a good probability that we will see a slowdown of POS activity in 2023. Outside influences will also affect 2023, including supply chain issues and inflation.

May 2023 was up approximately 10 percent versus April 2023, which is consistent with other years when comparing numbers from April to May. For the year, May was about the same as January and February. Normally, May outperforms the first two months of the year by 15 to 20 percent. This year’s May number is about 9 percent below May 2022. Indications continue to point to a softening of POS sales activity for 2023.

Read the report.

For details on Budde Marketing’s services, visit BuddeMarketing.com.

INDUSTRY NEWS

> The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) announced that global semiconductor sales rose 1.7 percent from April to May 2023. Read more.

> SIA published a new report stating that the U.S. will face an industry shortfall of 67,000 chip jobs by 2030 as the U.S. works to strengthen its domestic chip-producing sector. Read more.

> A new Gartner, Inc. study shows that 26 percent of all supply chain leadership roles are now occupied by women. Read more.

ERA NEWS

> The Summer edition of The Representor is now in your email inboxes and mailboxes! Don’t miss the cover story on using AI in sales, as well as Q&As with industry peers, executive commentary, chapter news, legal and tax columns, and the new Tech Corner section! View the digital flipbook or interactive PDF.

> Were you unable to attend past ERA LIVE sessions? ERA has you covered! All ERA LIVE sessions are recorded and available for viewing or listening in the ERA LIVE Audio & Video Library.

> Registration is now open for ERA’s STEP 2023 (Sales Training for Electronics Professionals), taking place Oct. 17-19. ERA’s third annual live sales training program offers frontline sales professionals nine, 75-minute educational sales training sessions. That’s more than 11 total hours of training! View more information and register.

FOR YOUR CALENDAR

Click here to browse the searchable ERA Industry Calendar and ERA Chapter Events listings!

 

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Join ERA Today

For Your Calendar

 

> Read the Summer 2023 edition of The Representor!

The Summer 2023 issue of The Representor is now available!

In this issue, don’t miss:

• The cover story, “Selling with AI: Generative AI applications have immense potential for sales teams” by Sam Richter, CSP, CSAE, creator of ERA SearchLink.ai, Intel Engine and founder of KnowMore.
• The Someone You Should Know Q&A, featuring Cole Sikes, vice president, global distribution & EMS, for Abracon.
• The Rising Stars Q&A, featuring Alex Monetta, outside sales representative at Meridian Technical Sales.
• The ERA XCOM Digest — ERA’s executive committee weighs in from the rep, manufacturing, education, distribution and membership sectors of ERA and the industry.
• Technical application article “Solid as a rock: electrolytic for rugged applications” in the new Tech Corner section!
• Taxes matter for small businesses and sales reps — read about the most taxpayer-friendly retirement plan possible in the Tax Matters column.
• Chapter News — reporting on the events, education and projects of ERA’s active chapters around the country.

View the digital flipbook.

View the interactive PDF.

Subscribe and get the print version.

> ERA Quick Connections – July 2023, Vol. 1

July 2023, Volume 1

MANUFACTURING DATA REPORTS

Manufacturing data reports from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) are released at the beginning of every month and can be accessed at ISM. The latest report says economic activity in the manufacturing sector contracted in June for the eighth consecutive month after a period of 28 months of growth.

The electrical equipment, appliances and components sector, as well as the computer and electronic products sector, reported contraction in June. Read the full report.

INDUSTRY NEWS

> Using chips to design chips — where will AI likely have an immediate impact on chip-making? Read more.

> The growing market of counterfeit electronics components and its repercussions. Read more.

> Reuters reports the latest in ongoing and escalating U.S.-China tensions over semiconductors. Read more.

ERA NEWS

> Registration is now open for ERA’s STEP 2023 (Sales Training for Electronics Professionals), taking place Oct. 17-19. ERA’s third annual live sales training program offers frontline sales professionals nine, 75-minute educational sales training sessions. That’s more than 11 total hours of training! View more information and register.

> Join us TOMORROW —Thursday, July 6, — at 4 PM EDT for an ERA LIVE session with Sam Richter! Sam will give an overview and demonstration of the ERA SearchLink.ai tool and how best to customize it to your firm’s sales needs. No registration required. See you there! View more details and log in-information. Missed an ERA LIVE session? View or listen to past sessions HERE.

> ERA announces a new monthly Business Environment Survey in partnership with leading research firm Edgewater Research. The survey will focus on sales and booking trends, revenue growth trends, pricing outlook, book-to-bill ratios, end markets, inventory, lead times & more. ERA members can respond to this survey confidentially and view the results posted monthly at: era.org/era-member-surveys. ERA looks forward to our members participating and finding significant value in the results. View more information. (The first survey was sent July 3 — look out for it in your inbox!)

FOR YOUR CALENDAR

Click here to browse the searchable ERA Industry Calendar and ERA Chapter Events listings!

 

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> ERA & Edgewater Research Announce Survey Partnership

ERA PRESS RELEASE
June 26, 2023
Contact: Clare Kluck / Communications Director / ckluck@era.org

The Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) is pleased to announce that it is launching a new Electronic Components Industry Trends Survey, in partnership with leading research firm Edgewater Research, that will be sent to ERA members on a monthly basis.

ERA members — manufacturers’ representatives, distributors, manufacturers and consultants in the electronics components industry — will have the ability to respond to this survey directly and confidentially to Edgewater Research, and only ERA members will be able to view the results.

The survey and its results will focus on valuable industry intelligence such as sales and booking trends, revenue growth trends, pricing outlook, book-to-bill ratios, end markets, inventory, lead times and more.

“I’m pleased that ERA is now offering yet another valuable benefit to our members,” said Walter Tobin, ERA CEO. “By partnering with a trusted source like Edgewater Research, we are now offering ERA members real-time, indispensable business environment data that they can use to help them plan for the second half of 2023 and beyond.”

“We look forward to our members participating in this survey and finding significance in the results,” continued Tobin. “ERA aims to continue to provide our members with real tools and data to help them navigate these uncertain times.”

The first survey will be emailed on July 3, 2023.

Important things to know about ERA’s new Electronic Components Industry Trends Survey:

• The survey will be sent at the beginning of each month to one representative only from each ERA member company.
• If you would like to delegate your response to another person in your company, that is acceptable. Please email Edgewater Research if you would like to change the survey contact person for your company.
• Your survey responses are completely and totally confidential.
• You will receive a few reminder emails until you fill out the survey. Upon completion of the survey, you will not receive further reminder emails.
• The survey will be sent from Edgewater Research, on behalf of ERA, from the following email address: no–reply@mail.client.edgewaterresearch.com. Rest assured this is not spam, so please white-list this email address in your inbox.
• ERA members only will be able to view aggregated monthly results in PDF format at: https://era.org/era-member-surveys. This link will be included in each survey email so members can peruse results at your convenience.
• ERA member email addresses are being used for this survey only and will not be shared with any third parties or used for other marketing purposes.

About ERA

The 88-year-old Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) is the international trade organization for professional field sales companies in the global electronics industries, manufacturers who go to market through representative firms and global distributors. It is the mission of ERA to support the professional field sales function through programs and activities that educate, inform and advocate for manufacturers’ representatives, the principals they represent and the distributors who are reps’ partners in local territories. For more information about ERA, visit era.org.

About Edgewater Research

Edgewater Research (https://www.edgewaterresearch.com/) partners with corporate clients across various industry verticals, globally. Edgewater’s offerings include research published on technology, digital advertising, ecommerce and consumer. Edgewater uses a labor-intensive research process, conducted by full-time, in-house industry experts who have spent years cultivating credible referral networks across various supply chains. Consistent participation from channel contacts stretching over a decade is a testament to the value placed on gaining access to the research and the benefit it provides.

> ERA Quick Connections: June 2023, Vol. 2

June 2023, Volume 2

MONTHLY POS REPORT

Our base point of January 2021 saw the COVID-19 pandemic beginning to lose steam, resulting in a significant rebound in POS activity. Due to the strong growth in 2022, there is the good probability that we will see a slowdown of POS activity in 2023. Outside influences will also affect 2023, including supply chain issues and inflation.

April 2023 dipped significantly from March and was the lowest POS month since December 2021. April was down 30 percent when compared to March 2023. It is a normal trend to be down from March, but not this significantly. Comparing the last two years of POS activity, April was down 8 percent in 2021 and 19 percent in 2022 when comparing to March numbers, so the 30 percent decrease this year represents a much bigger dip in POS. Indications continue to point to a slowing down of sales activity while at the same time, distributor inventories continue to swell.

Read the report.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

> More than 80 percent of new supply chain management technology applications will use AI and data science in some way by 2025. Read more.

> A new report from Market Research says the automotive chip market may nearly double in size by 2030. Read more.

> The authors of Culture Shock, a book about the new workplace environment, discuss how managers and employees can reconnect and get re-energized. Read more.

ERA NEWS

> If you did not attend ERA Virtual Sales Training (now called STEP — Sales Training for Electronics Professionals — in 2021 or 2022, past training recordings are now archived and available for purchase HERE. These are great for new employees or a refresher for your current team! Save the date for live, virtual STEP training, which will take place Oct. 17-19.

> A new ERA LIVE session with Sam Richter has been announced for Thursday, July 6 at 4 PM ET and will feature a demonstration of the new ERA SearchLink.ai tool. Mark your calendars! Anyone in the electronics industry is welcome to attend. There is no registration required. View more information on ERA SearchLink.ai and register today.

> Check out the ERA Bulletin Board for job openings, merger/acquisition opportunities and posted resumes. If you would like to post a notice on the ERA bulletin board, contact Karin Derkacz, Operations Director, at kderkacz@era.org.

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