News from B&B Electronics Manufacturing Company 707 Dayton Road P.O. Box 1040 Ottawa IL 61350 (815) 433-5100 FAX (815) 433-5109 For further information, contact: Mike Fahrion at B&B Electronics Manufacturing Co. (815) 433-5100 x215 e-mail: mfahrion@bb-elec.com July 19, 2004 For Immediate Release: New B&B Electronics President Says "Lousy Economy" a Mere Myth Ottawa, Illinois - Don Wiencek, the new president of B&B Electronics in Ottawa, Illinois, insists the economy is booming - even in the staid industrial market. "A lot of people are complaining that sales are slow, that Bush messed everything up, and the breadlines are getting longer. But we sure aren't seeing it here." Wiencek, who has been leading the company for nine months, reports record sales for four quarters in a row, double digit growth, and robust demand for the company's rugged networking gear. B&B's market would hardly be considered sexy by most people. Most of their customers are project engineers at US and European manufacturing companies; certainly not a high-growth segment of the economy. Nevertheless there is strong activity in manufacturing, especially in wireless networking products and devices that link 10, 15 and 20- year-old equipment to intranets and the Internet. "The manufacturing sector took a huge hit after September 11," says Wiencek, "But foreign competition means that US and European companies can't stick their head in the sand. Companies must improve productivity, and that means investment in new communications technology and tools. We are seeing that right now, especially in these important areas." Wiencek attributes B&B's success to many factors - from featuring competitors side by side with their own products in the company's catalog, to its generous Midwestern-style technical support, to their oftentimes politically incorrect email newsletter. "The Hillary Clinton issue raised some ire," he admits, "But for the most part our customers are enthusiastic about our informal, tongue-in-cheek way of doing business. Jack Nicholson had it right in The Shining: All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." Prior to his post at B&B, Wiencek headed Panduit corporation's Network Connectivity Group, where he led the start-up to $200 million in sales and Number 2 market share worldwide. Wiencek is available for interview and can provide your readers with entertaining and informative views on the trends in manufacturing, networking, and the "bad" economy. About B&B Electronics B&B Electronics has over 20 years of experience in the design and manufacturer of data communications products for commercial and industrial applications. Specializing in serial, Ethernet and wireless connectivity, the company has over 50,000 customers throughout the world. US headquarters are located in Ottawa, Illinois. European headquarters are located in County Galway, Ireland. For more information on the company's products and services, visit www.bb-elec.com or call (815) 433 - 5100. B&B Electronics is a subsidiary of Avtek Corporation. ---END---- Digital text and photos available at http://www.bb-elec.com/press_releases/president_wiencek.html