Who says you can’t have fun while social distancing at work? Certainly, not us! It’s Cinco de Mayo and Intervala’s Pittsburgh team organized a together-while-apart Taco Tuesday celebration featuring delicious, portable taco and nacho boxed lunches. The lunches were to-go, but we were together in spirit. Big thanks to the wonderful folks at Apple Harvest Catering in North Versailles, Pa., for the festive feast!
PITTSBURGH, April 27, 2020—Intervala, LLC, a full-service manufacturer of complex, high-performance electronic and electromechanical products, announced today that it has acquired Princeton Technology Corporation in Hudson, New Hampshire. The acquisition further expands Intervala’s manufacturing presence in the Northeast region of the U.S., along with adding new capabilities and customers.
Effective with the closing of the transaction, Princeton Technology, which has served as a high-technology electronics manufacturing services (EMS) provider since 1996, began operating under the Intervala name. The acquisition provides Intervala with additional cable and harness manufacturing expertise and a production location certified to AS9100 aerospace quality standards. In addition, Princeton’s capabilities in producing complex printed circuit board assemblies and integrated electromechanical products expand Intervala’s companywide capacity in these areas. The transaction also adds several top-tier customers in the defense and medical markets.
Jon Saunders, vice president and general manager for Intervala, is responsible for leading the new operation. Saunders’ career in the EMS industry spans more than 25 years and reflects an established track record of successfully leading high-performance manufacturing operations.
“Our acquisition of Princeton Technology represents another significant milestone in Intervala’s growth journey,” said Teresa Huber, president and CEO. “Princeton has built a talented team and a notable customer list that includes many industry leaders. We are thrilled to welcome them to Intervala and look forward to building on our unique culture of customer excellence to achieve mutual business success.”
About Intervala
At Intervala, we tailor intelligent manufacturing solutions to each customer’s unique requirements. We are a full-service manufacturer of complex, high-performance printed circuit board assemblies, electromechanical systems, and cable and harness assemblies for global customers in the industrial, medical, transportation and defense markets. Our team draws on decades of experience to bring a fresh approach to problem-solving by combining turnkey manufacturing capabilities, a full suite of engineering expertise, new product introduction, supply chain management, and global fulfillment services to deliver smart, innovative solutions. To learn more, visit www.intervala.com.
The following article appeared in today’s edition of EMSNow.
Teresa Huber, President and CEO
By Teresa Huber, President and CEO, Intervala
When I began my career in engineering more than 30 years ago, I wasn’t surprised to find few female colleagues. I expected that to change with time and, over the years, the number of women completing STEM degrees and working in related fields has grown considerably. In fact, the number of women in STEM careers has been increasing since the early 1990s, but the overall growth has been slow and inconsistent.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), between 2009 and 2016, the number of women graduating with STEM degrees in the U.S. increased nearly 43%. In fact, in 2016, a higher percentage of all bachelor’s degrees were awarded to females than males—58% versus 42%, respectively. However, that same year, male graduates took home 64% of the degrees in STEM-related fields.
Research has long demonstrated the benefits of having more women in the workplace. Companies with more women in leadership roles perform better and have better family policies. Diverse teams are often more innovative, productive and more profitable. And employees on diverse and inclusive teams typically put in more effort, stay longer and demonstrate more commitment.
So, what’s the problem?
As a woman in STEM, I understand some of the reasons why girls and young woman seek other career paths. But, as a CEO of a tech manufacturing company, I see the gender gap in STEM as a very real threat to business and economic growth.
In recent years, economists have predicted that as many as 2 million of the nearly 3.5 million manufacturing jobs that need to be filled by 2025 will go unfilled due to a skills gap. Closing the gender gap is critical to closing the labor gap.
Today, women remain underrepresented and underutilized in nearly every manufacturing sector in the U.S. Despite comprising nearly half of the total U.S. labor force, we account for less than one-third of manufacturing workers and even less in science and engineering fields. The numbers are better at Intervala where about 40% of our employee population is female. Women work in virtually every function in our company, including production, engineering, operations, supply chain, business development and senior leadership.
Certainly, the reasons why there is such a low percentage of women in STEM are complex and there is no simple solution. Some girls and young women may have been actively discouraged, unconscious bias from teachers and families may play a role, some girls have other interests, and there’s data that shows millennials in general aren’t attracted to manufacturing.
But no matter the factors, the answer is education. Too few women are pursuing STEM degrees. While women’s participation in higher education focused on STEM has grown significantly, it has not increased equally in each field. For example, in the U.S. and U.K, more than 50% of all biomedical degrees are earned by women. However, the numbers shrivel when it comes to mathematics and physical sciences, and women are most severely underrepresented in the computing and engineering fields.
Fortunately, the focus on equal representation in STEM is blossoming. All around the world, educational systems are changing to create environments where interest and passion are nurtured without consideration of gender. And, more and more, educators are realizing that early exposure is key.
Experts say the way to beat the STEM gender gap is to encourage girls to explore their STEM options and interests at an early age. The classroom is one of the biggest environments with the potential to influence a passion in STEM and educators can be role models who guide and support girls in this area. And they don’t have to do it alone. Today, there are enormous resources to help educators drive this evolution, including the National Education Association, American Association of University Women, Smithsonian Science Education Center, and many others.
There’s an important role for the private sector as well. Many large technology-driven companies like HP, Northrop Grumman, Cisco, Google, and others, have invested in outreach programs to engage girls and young women in technology, engineering and science at a younger age. But even smaller companies, like Intervala, can make a difference.
In Pittsburgh, where Intervala is headquartered, we’re fortunate to have several organizations, such as Catalyst Connection, the Pittsburgh Technology Council and BotsIQ, that partner with schools and local industry to sponsor engaging and fun STEM programs for middle and high school students. Intervala has participated in these interactive programs for many years, helping to spark students’ curiosity and create excitement about careers in engineering and manufacturing. Our new Hudson, New Hampshire, operation is implementing similar programs in that community as well.
We also work with local universities and technical schools to spread the message that Intervala is an inclusive workplace where everyone has a voice. We sponsor internships where aspiring female engineers work side-by-side with other women and men in a collaborative environment. And we make it a priority to cultivate a culture of equality and professional development for all. These efforts cost little but reap big rewards for our company and the young professionals who will be the next generation of leaders.
Those of us who lead STEM-oriented businesses have a responsibility to get more involved. Speaking from personal experience, witnessing that spark when a girl or young woman sees how they can use science and technology to make a positive difference in the world is nothing short of inspiring.
PITTSBURGH, March 3, 2020—Intervala, LLC, a full-service manufacturer of high-reliability, precision electronic and electromechanical products, announced today that it has signed a manufacturing agreement with new customer Noregon Systems, Inc. Products manufactured by Intervala will be used in Noregon’s proprietary large-vehicle diagnostic equipment, which collects and analyzes real-time vehicle health and performance data. Intervala will manufacture the products at its facility in the greater Pittsburgh area.
“We are excited to be selected by Noregon to support their advanced, IoT (internet of things) vehicle diagnostics technology,” said Teresa Huber, president and CEO of Intervala. “Noregon is the industry-recognized authority on connected vehicle solutions, and we are extremely pleased to welcome this innovative company to our growing list of successful global customers.”
“This partnership with Intervala creates tremendous value for our customers,” said Tim Bigwood, Noregon’s CEO. “Their expertise empowers us to continue to enhance our industry-leading connected vehicle solutions that organizations rely on to maximize uptime in their fleet.”
About Intervala
At Intervala, we create customized, intelligent solutions for each customer’s unique requirements. We are a full-service manufacturer of high-reliability, precision electronic and electromechanical products for companies in industrial, medical, transportation, and other technology-driven markets. Customers choose Intervala because we understand their complex product and service needs. Our team draws on decades of experience to bring a fresh approach to problem-solving, combining turnkey manufacturing capabilities and engineering, materials management, and global fulfillment services to deliver smart, innovative solutions. Total customer satisfaction is the cornerstone of our business. To learn more about Intervala, visit www.intervala.com.
About Noregon
Noregon, the industry-recognized vehicle data expert, is an IoT (internet of things) company specializing in connected vehicle solutions. They create advanced commercial vehicle applications, including in-shop tools and remote vehicle solutions, that help businesses maximize vehicle uptime, improve decision-making, and better train technicians to improve their skill sets.
Happy birthday to us! To celebrate Intervala’s fourth anniversary and kick off a great new business year, we threw a big party! Employees and guests enjoyed a delicious dinner then kicked up their heels for a night of dancing to the tunes of Dj-Tone Pgh. Cheers to the lucky employees who took home an assortment of prizes, including gift cards and baskets, Pittsburgh Penguin tickets and a shiny new iPad!
Thanks to our wonderful employees for everything they do and to the DoubleTree Monroeville, Beautiful Day Photo Booth, Dj-Tone Pgh and our generous suppliers for getting the party started and keeping it going all night long!
