At 9:30 this morning, Bead Electronics held a company wide moment of silence for the victims of Sandy Hook Elementary. This "Day of Mourning" declared by Connecticut Governer, Dannel P. Malloy, involved a statewide participation by all residents and businesses in Connecticut.

As a manufacturer of precision electronic components, Bead Electronics produces contact pins made from different metal materials such as brass, copper, nickel, stainless steel, tin, and gold. For some manufacturers, the tin and gold materials they purchase from smelters may be derived from areas like the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where so-called ‘Conflict Minerals’ have contributed to a civil war that has killed millions of people. For Bead Electronics, this is not the case. Its materials, purchased from both local and national metal suppliers and refiners, can be traced back through its supply chain to the US and Canada.

Over the past three months, Bead has seen a 200% increase in online leads for custom contact pins. These leads, driven from both organic search and referral sites, are proving to be qualified prospects whose custom needs range from PCB pins to automotive contacts to telecom pin assemblies.

Several more Vision Inspection Systems have been mounted and are running on the factory floor this month. Using an automated solution for inspection allows us to verify the diameter, thickness, and length of each and every connector pin produced, as opposed to just a handful done manually using micrometers.

Bead Electronics was pleased to accept an Export Achievement award from the US Department of Commerce at the New Haven Manufacturers Association (NHMA) Annual Dinner on June 14. The award, presented by Mr. Perez, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Manufacturing from the US Department of Commerce.

International Trade Administration recognizes Bead's success in growing its exports, which now account for almost 54% of total sales.

As a manufacturer of high-quality interconnect pins, Bead routinely ships products to Mexico, China, Eastern Europe, South America, England, Singapore, Taiwan, and the Philippines.

Peter M. Perez was the guest speaker at the NHMA Annual Dinner. He directs the department’s efforts to enhance the export competitiveness of US manufacturing and promote job growth in the US manufacturing sector.

He said that the US is the largest manufacturing economy producing more than 18 percent of the world’s manufactured products. His Mantra was “Make it in America, but sell it everywhere.”

Manufacturing is vital to the health of the American economy, providing high-paying jobs with good benefits including medical, pension, and paid sick days. Manufacturers also pump millions into their local economies for materials and services.