Choosing which PCB manufacturer to partner with on production is the first step to realizing an electronic device. There are many aspects to weigh for manufacturing; most often, cost will be top-of-mind. However, manufacturing in the USA has significant benefits compared to overseas manufacturing: quality/build repeatability is higher, specific certifications (e.g., ITAR) are US exclusive for security purposes, and design teams will have an easier time coordinating business/inspecting facilities domestically. Consider weighing some of the top electronic contract manufacturers in the USA to find the best fit for your production needs.
| Comparing Top Electronic Contract Manufacturers in the USA | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Design | Fabrication | Assembly | Testing | System Integration | WBENC Certification | ||
| Advanced PCB | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||
| Benchmark | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||
| Celestica | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||
| Fabrinet | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||
| Fab-9 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||
| Flex | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Gorilla Circuits | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||
| Jabil | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||
| Plexus | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||
| Rocket EMS | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Sanmina | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Sierra Circuits | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||
| Valley Service Electronics | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Zollner | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||
Top Electronic Contract Manufacturers in the USA
Advanced PCB
About: Advanced PCB is a rebrand/merger of API/4PCB.com, APCT, and San Diego PCB Design that has been in business for over forty years.
Services: PCB design, fabrication, assembly
Certifications: ISO 9001:2015, AS 9100D, ITAR
Website: https://www.advancedpcb.com/en-us/
Analysis: Advanced PCB is an excellent choice for aerospace applications in southern California.
Benchmark
About: Benchmark had a history as a low-volume, complex assembly manufacturer of medical electronics before becoming an international organization with facilities across the Americas, Asia, and Europe.
Services: PCB design, fabrication, assembly, machining, testing
Certifications: ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, ISO 45001:2018, ISO 13485:2016, AS9100:2016
Website: https://www.bench.com/about-us
Analysis: For global medical device manufacturing, Benchmark offers integrated solutions.
Celestica
About: As part of its eight-decade history in OEM, Celestica has grown from a subsidiary of IBM to an independent organization.
Services: PCB design, fabrication, assembly, testing, machining
Certifications: ISO 13485:2016, AS9100, IPC-A-610
Website: https://www.celestica.com/
Analysis: Celestica offers all the basics of PCB manufacturing with additional support for custom-part machining.
Fabrinet
About: Once a low-volume, high-mix manufacturer, Fabrinet has grown to a “factory within a factory model” by providing expertise, labor, and supply chain navigation for OEM.
Services: PCB design, fabrication, assembly
Certifications: ISO 9001:2015, ISO 13485, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 22301
Website: https://fabrinet.com/
Analysis: Fabrinet is a unique solution for manufacturing that can bring expertise and labor to organizations with the requisite equipment.
Fab-9
About: With locations in San Jose and Vietnam, Fab-9 offers solutions for domestic and international PCB manufacturing.
Services: PCB fabrication, assembly, testing
Certifications: ISO 9001:2015, RoHS, UL, REACH
Website: https://www.fab-9.com/home
Analysis: Fab-9 can lean on international manufacturing capabilities for semiconductor solutions.
Flex
About: Formerly known as Flextronics, Flex is a global electronic manufacturing services provider with multiple US locations (including San Jose).
Services: Chip packaging, PCB design, fabrication, assembly, testing, machining, box builds
Certifications: ISO 9001:2015
Website: https://flex.com/
Analysis: Flex is among the global leaders not only in PCB manufacturing but also in chip packaging.
Gorilla Circuits
About: Gorilla Circuits is a vertically integrated, quick-turn PCB manufacturer in the Bay Area with over 20 years of experience.
Services: PCB design, fabrication, assembly, testing
Certifications: ISO 9001:2015, AS 9100:2016, MIL-PRF-31032, ITAR
Website: https://www.gorillacircuits.com/
Analysis: Gorilla Circuits has a fully in-house solution for PCB manufacturing for Bay Area enterprises.
Jabil
About: A global manufacturer with a hundred facilities across twenty-five countries.
Services: PCB fabrication, assembly, testing, failure analysis
Certifications: AS9100, EN 9100, ISO 9001, ISO 14001,
Website: https://www.jabil.com/
Analysis: Jabil has excellent global market penetration for manufacturing and distribution. Failure analysis offers a relatively unique method of board analysis.
Plexus
About: Advanced PCB is a rebrand/merger of API/4PCB.com, APCT, and San Diego PCB Design that has been in business for over forty years.
Services: PCB design, fabrication, assembly
Certifications: ISO 9001:2015, AS 9100D, ITAR
Website: https://www.plexus.com/en-us/
Analysis: Plexus manufacturing solutions extend to supply chain and market analysis to make budgets go further.
Rocket EMS
About: Rocket EMS is a contract manufacturer with facilities in Santa Clara and Carson City specializing in new product introductions.
Services: PCB design, fabrication, assembly, rework, testing, box builds
Certifications: ISO 13485:2016, ISO 9001:2015, AS9100D
Website: https://www.rocketems.com/
Analysis: Rocket EMS can help bring new products to market in Silicon Valley.
Sanmina
About: Sanmina is a global manufacturer headquartered in San Jose. It offers various PCB manufacturing services (prototyping, high-mix/low-volume, and mass production) alongside additional machining and welding services.
Services: PCB design, fabrication, assembly, testing, box builds, repair
Certifications: ISO 9001:2008, ISO 14001, AS 9100C, NADCAP 7120, ANSI-J-STD 001, ANSI-J-STD 001 ES, IPC-A-610 (Class 1-3), ITAR
Website: https://www.sanmina.com/
Analysis: As one of the larger manufacturers, Sanmina offers scalability few other manufacturers can compete with.
Sierra Circuits
About: Closing in on its 40th year of operation, Sierra Circuits Sunnyvale facility specializes in quick-turn assemblies and medium-volume productions.
Services: PCB design, fabrication, assembly, testing
Certifications: ITAR, AS9100D, ISO 13485:2016, ISO 9001:2015
Website: https://www.protoexpress.com/
Analysis: Sierra Circuits offers flex, rigid-flex, and various system integrations for Bay Area productions.
Valley Service Electronics
About: VSE has over forty years of experience manufacturing and assembling PCBs in its San Jose facility. Our newer Reno facility, opened in 2022, bolsters our prototyping capabilities in San Jose with high-volume production capacity. VSE is a proudly woman-owned business recognized by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council.
Services: PCB design, fabrication, assembly, testing, box builds, cable assembly, flex/rigid-flex, control panels
Certifications: ISO 9001:2015, ISO 13485:2016, RoHS compliant, conflict mineral compliant, WBENC
Website: https://www.vse.com/
Analysis: VSE offers a unique solution for companies in the Bay Area: an NPI and prototype-oriented facility in San Jose with a larger-volume production facility strategically located in Reno for scalability. VSE ensures that the same processes and equipment carry over between facilities to remove the variance from precision manufacturing.
Zollner
About: Originating in Zandt, Bavaria, Zollner has grown to the Americas and Asia over the past seven decades.
Services: PCB R&D, design, fabrication, assembly, traceability
Certifications: ISO 9001:2015, ISO 13485, ISO 22163, AS 9100, ISO 14001, ISO 50001, ISO 27001
Website: https://www.zollner-electronics.com/en/
Analysis: Zollner’s traceability can be a boon for medical devices and other industries that require full tracking of materials and components.
Your Local Contract Manufacturer for PCB Production
Even after paring down the choice of the top electronic contract manufacturers in the USA, the decision is not trivial. While manufacturing capabilities are the starting point, the difference maker can often come down to more granular attributes like locality (for shipping costs/time) or business relationships. One of the primary delineating factors may be the ability to prototype/build new product introductions (i.e., NPIs) versus mass production quantities; fortunately, VSE can serve both markets with our conveniently located San Jose and Reno facilities. Our engineers are committed to building electronics for our customers, including a complete design review in preparation for manufacturing to ensure performance, producibility, and profitability. We’ve been realizing life-changing and life-saving devices for over forty years with our valued manufacturing partners.
If you are looking for a CM that prides itself on its care and attention to detail to ensure that each PCB assembly is built to the highest standards, look no further than VSE. Contact us today to learn more about partnering with us for your next project.
