Getting the Job Done in 2021
February 05, 2021
By Darrell McDaniel
As I sit down to write this update, I can’t help but look back at our 2020 outlook and think about everything that unfolded that never could have been anticipated. Before I cover what’s in store for 2021, I want to thank my team for all of their hard work over the last year, and the agility they displayed even during the most challenging of times. Thank you for your commitment to our customers, community and company.
This year, although there is still much to navigate from the impact of COVID-19, we know that 2021 brings hope, with more understanding around the virus and vaccines now rolling out. The semiconductor industry shows no signs of slowing down. 2020 ended strong, with the President of SEMI, Ajit Manocha, reporting that “December billings of North America-based semiconductor equipment manufacturers grew to finish this challenging year with annual billings that surpassed the previous industry high set in 2018,” with “$2.68 billion in billings worldwide.”1
Last month, the Semiconductor Industry Association reported that global semiconductor sales increased 7% year-over-year from November 2019 to November 2020.2 There have been reports that some of the leading semiconductor companies like Texas Instruments, Intel, Micron, Samsung and TSMC all have plans to build large facilities across the U.S., with some builds already in progress. Even Facebook and Google have started entering the manufacturing space.
During 2020, our team was highly focused on rolling out our asset life cycle management services. Last year, we formally launched our four comprehensive service offerings; NSURESM Asset Relocation Services, NSITESM Facility Services, NSHIELDSM Equipment Services and NSOURCESM Direct Hire Services. We saw increased traction across all of our services, while our core staffing business remained a critical piece of our success. We strongly believe we are positioned to become the No. 1 company in asset relocation, through integrity, quality and flexibility. We look forward to increasing our customer portfolio across all of our divisions.
Though these services became branded offerings last year, NSTAR® has existed for more than 20 years, and the services we provide are nothing new to our team of seasoned experts. But we’re not ones to rest on our track record; we are always working to find ways to meet our customers’ evolving needs. For example, in October, we launched our proprietary NSURE TrackSM QR code technology and software for asset tracking that has really moved the bar for our customers in terms of project management and accountability. Then, as part of our NSITE expansion, we announced the opening of our first fabrication facility and training center in Boise, Idaho, to meet emerging customer needs for component repair, light fabrication, and system refurbishment. And as of the start of 2021, we’ve got exciting new NSITE and NSURE projects in the pipeline that we can’t wait to get started on.
This year we’ve partnered with several leading brokerage firms so that we can better serve our customers. We are a true services-focused organization and have moved well-beyond staff augmentation within the semiconductor industry. With our in-house subject matter expertise and the ability to work on dynamic projects of any size, we invite you to contact us for your asset lifecycle management needs.
1. North American Semiconductor Equipment Industry Posts December 2020 Billings, SEMI, Jan. 25, 2021
2. Global Semiconductor Sales Increase 7 Percent Year-to-Year in November, SIA Jan. 4, 2021
