2009/2010 - The Industry Review and Preview - Gary Marsh, Solid State Supplies

Top industry executives set aside their holiday shopping when the Disti Blog questions landed on their desks so we can all learn about their views on just how bad it was in 2009 and whether there are any portents for fairer climes in 2010. I'll keep these on top of the posts right through the holiday until the New Year so you can dip in and out if you don't fancy reading them all in one go.

Gary Marsh, Managing Director, Solid State Supplies

Question 1 - Review 2009 for us. As awful as it looked or not as bad as painted?

It has certainly been a difficult year; we found our margins squeezed by the exchange rate, and competition has been particularly fierce because it’s been a tough market for everyone. However, here at Solid State Supplies our sales are down 3% for 2009 compared to AFDEC’s market forecast of –13.1%, so overall, 2009 wasn’t as bad as it looked.

Question 2 - How do you view prospects for 2010? Do you foresee any hurdles to the potential growth next year e.g. a double dip recession, lengthening lead times

We are seeing more enquiries than we were earlier in the year and our design funnel is functioning well, so we remain confident about the anticipated market recovery in 2010. We are broadening our product range in order to be prepared for the upturn as and when it arrives.

Question 3 - What would make life easier in 2010?

The banks’ reluctance to lend any funds is stifling the introduction of new projects in a variety of spaces. I think our customers would find it easier if funding was more readily available.

Question 4 - What will make 2010 exciting for Solid State Supplies?

Our principals have debuted some excellent new products, particularly our embedded lines, which will help us to develop our business in this sector. Low power technology is also a hot topic at the moment so it’ll be another focus for us next year. We’re also working on the area of acquisitions – so look out for some exciting news from Solid State Supplies in 2010!