How a Local Company Made it to 50 Years

As an example of the difference in technology between 1964 and 2014 you can look at a December 1963 magazine ad, where Dow Corning touted a production breakthrough of 40mm silicon wafers (a little over 1.5 inches). At that point, our original Model 716 Wire Saw was used for both small scale production as an alternative to diamond wheel cutting and also a laboratory saw for research and development.

As the industry grew to where it is today - working with 300mm (12”) wafers and contemplating going to 450 mm (18”) – South Bay Technology chose to remain in the R&D sector and continued to produce products used in the development and analysis of new materials and technologies.

PATCH: How did the company start?

HENRIKS: The actual origin of the South Bay Technology Group is hazy. We know it was a part-time venture by a man named Paul Heindselman, who worked alone to build, ship, market and service a wire saw. In 1963, my dad started representing South Bay Technology Group through his newly formed R.E. Henriks & Associates – a company that represented several companies in the semiconductor field. He recognized that the wire saw had potential, but a capital investment was needed to make the necessary changes. When Mr. Heindselman was reluctant to make the necessary investment, my father borrowed $15,000 from his in-laws and bought the company.

PATCH: How many people worked there over the years?

HENRIKS: It’s hard to say how many people have worked here over the years.  We’ve always enjoyed being  a small company – never more than 30 employees – which allowed us to react quickly to changes in technology. Over 50 years there have been probably 200 people who have worked here at various times. We’ve always had very low turnover of employees as my dad always wanted to make this an enjoyable place to work. Including myself, we have several employees today who have been here for almost 30 years. 

I think more important than the number of employees is the number of collaborators we have had over the past 50 years – customers, vendors and employees. In fact, when you look at our logo you will see three horizontal waves – each represented uniquely, but equally prominent.  These individual waves represent the members of our team - our customers, vendors and employees – all of whom have been integral to our success.  

We have collaborated with numerous research scientists at some of the most respected universities and international companies in the world. We have also worked closely developing new equipment and techniques with many national laboratories including Argonne,  Lawrence Livermore, Sandia as well as with the National Institutes of Health and National Institute of Standards and Technology.

PATCH: How has your industry or vision changed over the years?

Much of the new technology development starts in small-venture, capital-funded companies where the need for R&D level technology is ideally suited. As new materials are continually being developed that allow for faster, smaller and more capable devices, this ever expanding R&D sector opens up new opportunities for us.

We have also expanded in areas outside the semiconductor industry by developing applications for our equipment in the areas of biology, dentistry, geology, fiber optics, Microelectromechanical systems, Microfluidics and even in the area of age and growth studies of fish. 

In terms of our vision, it has remained the same:

• Exceed the expectations of our customers by carefully listening to and thoroughly understanding their needs.
• Provide innovative solutions to our customers by leveraging our technical strengths and consistently implementing new technologies.
• Foster an environment of creativity, respect, teamwork, open communication and ethical behavior.
• Provide the training and tools which allow all of us to achieve our mission.
• Continually improve our performance in all aspects of the business.
• Achieve profitable growth.
  
  

The demand for new technologies and materials is growing faster than ever, which means our customer base will continue to expand. We intend to continue delivering outstanding value to our customers by providing on-time delivery of innovative products and services of the highest quality.  

We’ve built a large customer base over the past 50 years and are thankful to those customers for their loyal support. It is in that spirit and with great pride in what we have accomplished together - and in anticipation of the success still to come – that we are celebrating our 50-year anniversary together with our employees, their families, friends, customers and vendors so we can personally thank as many as possible for all they have done as a part of our team.