Dr. John W. Mitchell (President and CEO of IPC)

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of visiting CIOMP for the first time since becoming President and CEO of IPC (www.ipc.org).  Earlier in the year, an employee from CIOMP placed third in IPC’s Hand Soldering World Championship held at IPC APEX EXPO？ in San Diego, California, so it was with much anticipation that I looked forward to visiting the Institute in Changchun, China.

Immediately, I was impressed with the beauty of the facilities and the surrounding area.  Upon arriving, I had the pleasure of re-awarding the third place IPC Hand Soldering World Championship award to Ms. He Wang.  She very graciously received the award and we were pleased to present it to her in the presence of CIOMP Vice President Zhiyi Song and her coworkers and managers. Ms. Wang’s accomplishment was an achievement to be proud of.

After the ceremony, I was fortunate to be taken on a tour of the CIOMP facility.  I was pleased to hear about the rich history of CIOMP in optics as well as the loyalty of the Institute’s employees. Very often we hear of workers in China moving between companies several times within a span of one or two years.  It was with great admiration that I learned that not only are turn-over rates for employees very low, but also many who make the move to a different area have been desirous to return to CIOMP.

Another part of the tour that was indelibly imprinted in my mind was the manufacturing line near where the award recipient Ms. He Wang worked.  Describing it as a clean manufacturing environment would not do it justice.  The lines themselves were automated and kept in a clean facility that was protected by double-sealed doors and a contaminant elimination system that would normally be reserved for clean rooms, not for manufacturing operations.

Part of the secret of how CIOMP has been so successful in its participation in IPC hand soldering events in China (CIOMP has had three of their staff reach the finalist position in the China competitions since 2010) and across the world, is a credit to its teams and their training.  Team members work on very fine pitch soldering assignments on extremely sensitive and expensive chips.  They have to possess excellent skills to do their jobs, and the IPC soldering competition challenges demand the same type of excellence they display at work.

The hospitality I was shown at CIOMP was gracious and warm.  I look forward to my next visit to this beautiful facility in this alluring part of China.  I highly encourage, if you have the opportunity, to make the trip to Changchun, China and spend some time with our friends from CIOMP.

Best regards,

Dr. John W. Mitchell
President and CEO, IPC