Spirit: Behind the Screen

In this episode, Marti interviews Co-Founder and CEO Jim Cantrell on his history in the space industry and the trajectory of satellite and launch vehicle builder Phantom Space. Jim's backstory connects the industry's government space age heritage with the shift to Low-Earth orbit satellite launches and data collection applications among private and commercial launch companies.

Jim and Marti also discuss the value of the Arizona workforce, technology ecosystem and space industry. Phantom Space is headquartered in Tucson, AZ, making space more accessible through satellite manufacturing, their Daytona launch system, and space-data applications. Find out more at PhantomSpace.com.

Spirit Electronics is an end-to-end supply chain partner, offering engineering services, MIL-STD testing, assembly, and franchised component distribution to the New Space market. Learn more about New Space at SpiritElectronics.com/New-Space.

In this episode, Spirit VP Zef Malik joins Marti for a conversation about the driving forces and trends to watch in the semiconductor industry.

Zef and Marti discuss:

• Geopolitical influences on semiconductor manufacturing in the US
• Domestic manufacturing goals & local impacts
• Workforce & resources for semiconductor manufacturing
• Manufacturing automation & impact of AI

For more information about Spirit's OSAT (Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly & Test) solutions, including foundry services, visit SpiritElectronics.com.

In this episode, ISOCOM CEO and Managing Director Thomas Bayat shares background on the company's product offerings for commercial space and satellites.

From solid state relays that replace mechanical relays to optocouplers, ISOCOM products have a long running space heritage, including some products still functional on the International Space Station today.

Marti and Thomas discuss product design, radiation testing, and ISOCOM's innovative flexibility when it comes to designing products, including custom LED assemblies with nuclear energy and space applications.

ISOCOM is an optoelectronics and microelectronics design and manufacturing company based in the UK. Spirit Electronics is bringing ISOCOM products to the US aerospace and defense market as a franchised distributor. For more information, visit SpiritElectronics.com/ISOCOM.

Spirit's Purchasing Coordinator Travis Ireland has been a soldier in the Army National Guard for 11 years. In this episode, Travis talks with Marti about seeing components and end applications for microelectronics in the field. As a veteran-owned company, Spirit is often in touch with the impact our products have on our national defense missions and service members in the field. Travis's experience makes our supply chain logistics a personal connection to the mission, while purchasing and logistics work in the supply chain lets him offer a unique skill and perspective in the National Guard.

Learn more about Spirit's end-to-end services for aerospace and defense.

Spirit has managed and performed radiation testing, but with our addition of device analytical services such as DPA (destructive physical analysis), we also have the ability to prepare sample components.

In this episode, Marti and producer Alyssa discuss what is involved with sample preparation for radiation testing and how it fits into Spirit's end-to-end supply chain solutions.

Marti rolls out Season 4 with a new shopping cart feature for e-commerce on Spirit's website. Senior Director of Technology Megan Downie and Warehouse Associate Josh Rolin join her to discuss how e-commerce will work through the Spirit website.

Spirit's shopping cart integrates with the Texas Instruments store to offer both Spirit and TI stock to our customers online. The site will feature streamlined stock search, secure checkout, and streamlined delivery. Visit SpiritElectronics.com and click on the cart icon to start your high-rel component shopping spree.

Spirit Account Rep Steve Kruse's perspective is that if you work to make someone's job easy, they'll want to work with you. You'll rise to the top among your customers. And as his fellow Spirit Account Rep Jason Brandsma shares, Spirit has been recognized for this high-touch support by some of our prime customers this past year.

Steve and Jason talk with Marti about Spirit's component distribution business and what has helped to build the best customer relationships this year. They look at trends in the supply chain, the importance of buyer support, and the big additions to Spirit's end-to-end supply chain services.

Learn more about Spirit's foundry services with TI, DPA and device analysis, or our component distribution mentioned in this episode.

The Spirit Electronics Quality department manages all major compliance programs in support of business operations. So it's no surprise that Quality Director Estefania Romero is an expert in export control.

In this episode Estefania and Marti discuss Spirit's compliance and sales support for export controlled components under both ITAR and EAR. The program supports national security goals while protecting suppliers and coordinating with customer programs and end-use assessments.

With our expansion of services to include TI foundry access, Spirit continues to grow security and business programs to support American-based manufacturing.

For more info on all of Spirit's compliance programs visit https://www.spiritelectronics.com/about-us-old/quality/policies-compliance/. We welcome customer and supplier program audits.

In this episode, Spirit's Director of Purchasing Kelly Krall talks with Marti about supplier management and automation.

With lead times and prices constantly shifting in the post-covid supply chain, Kelly has found that the key to meeting customer requirements is communication and insight around delays and changes. Her purchasing team coordinates information between customers and the supply chain while looking for solutions like BOM management and drop-in replacements.

Kelly shares how Spirit's new AI automated reporting A.L.I.C.E. provides real-time data to customers with order status, expected delivery dates and more.

Have you met A.L.I.C.E. yet? Learn more about Spirit's reporting AI on our team page.

As an authorized distributor, Spirit has supported some award-winning SMI programs over the years, but Director of Technical Sales Sean Macdonald covers the major supply chain changes and service shifts we've seen in the past 5 years.

Supplier-Managed Inventory (SMI) has typically looked at materials forecasts and ordering in advance to make sure parts are available when you need them on the assembly line. But with allocation, supply chain disruptions, and inflation, Spirit has been able to adjust ordering and inventory services to:

1. Secure the product pipeline
2. Guarantee pricing amid inflation and increases
3. Manage inventory long-term

With circuit card assembly (CCA), destructive physical analysis (DPA), BGA reballing, lead trim and form, and many other value-added services in-house, product can be inventoried well in advance with predictable pricing and ready-for-use delivery.

For more information about our services, visit SpiritElectronics.com/services.