CHICAGO – Electronics industry executive Don Lafferty will advise on how to use social media to grow a business at the 2011 Electronics Representatives Association’s annual management and marketing conference next week.

The meeting will be held in Oak Brook, IL, Oct. 4 - 6.

Lafferty’s two workshops – one for electronics manufacturers and one for independent manufacturers’ representatives – will provide case studies and practical steps for entering the world of social media, with a focus on setting measureable goals aligned with traditional corporate business objectives.

For more information, visit http://www.era.org/aa_conference/index.shtml.

BANGKOK – Printed circuit board maker Apex International said it would invest $132 million to build a new plant to ramp capacity, according to published reports.

The project will take place in two phases over three years. The first construction phase will be completed in the fourth quarter of 2012, providing a monthly
capacity of 1.5 million ft.² of PCBs. The second phase of the expansion will allow for an additional capacity of 1.5 million ft.², reports say.

New production lines will focus on PCB products for telematics devices. With acquisitions, the firm said it would also move into the HDI board segment.

FRANKFURT, GERMANY -- German PCB fabricators reported orders fell 26.8% sequentially in June, in part because of last year's exceptional showing.

ORLEANS, FRANCE -- A local court this week approved Elvia PCB's acquisition of CIRE Group, which had been in receivership since last year.