Printed Circuit Corporation
Printed Circuit Corporation was a Massachusetts contract manufacturer of multilayer printed circuit boards that served electronics, instrumentation, medical, telecommunications, and automotive customers.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Printed Circuit Corporation (PCC) was a contract printed circuit board manufacturer founded in 1961 by Peter Sarmanian and based in Woburn, Massachusetts. It emerged during the early expansion of the computer industry, when manufacturers of computers and electronic equipment were beginning to rely increasingly on independent suppliers for printed wiring boards rather than producing every board internally. PCC initially built a customer base among New England technology companies, including RCA Computer Systems, Digital Equipment Corporation, and Data General Corporation. The company specialized in rigid printed circuit boards, with a substantial portion of production consisting of multilayer boards in four-, six-, eight-, and ten-layer configurations. Its customers operated across electronics, instrumentation, medical equipment, telecommunications, and automotive applications. PCC's manufacturing capabilities were based on electro-chemical processes that supported greater reliability and higher component density than many earlier board-production methods. The company competed primarily in the mid-range segment, where customers required more technically demanding boards than those used in the lowest-cost, highest-volume consumer applications. During the 1980s, PCC attempted to diversify into lower-end, high-volume business as demand for consumer electronics expanded. By the middle of the 1990s, roughly half of its business came from low-end consumer-electronics manufacturers rather than its traditional mid-range customers. That strategy exposed PCC to intense competition from offshore producers, particularly Asian manufacturers able to offer lower prices for relatively straightforward, labor-intensive board fabrication. The collapse of the video-game-cartridge market associated with systems such as Atari and Intellivision further damaged the company's position. By 1995, consumer-electronics manufacturers had moved much of this work to Asian suppliers, and PCC's profitability had sharply deteriorated. Management changes in 1996 and 1997 led to a strategic refocus. PCC withdrew from unprofitable low-end work and concentrated on more complex mid-range boards, investing in technologies including laser drilling, improved solder masking, and semi-automated electrical testing. The repositioning coincided with a period of stronger growth in the global printed circuit board industry. PCC reached its largest reported scale around 2000, operating a 100,000-square-foot fabrication plant near Boston with approximately 240 employees working two full shifts and occasional additional prototype capacity. Glen Kashgegian became president and chief operating officer in 2000. The company also expanded through acquisition, purchasing the circuit-board fabrication business of CPC in Randolph, Massachusetts, in June 2001. Its environmental practices received attention as well: a 1995 study by the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Institute and the University of Massachusetts Lowell highlighted advances made by the company, although PCC had earlier faced a major regulatory penalty over alleged violations of state sewer requirements. In 2001, ABC-TV's Business Now featured PCC's manufacturing technology and management practices as an example of competition in the worldwide printed wiring board market. Peter Sarmanian died in July 2001 after an illness. PCC entered reorganization in September 2002 amid the technology-sector downturn, continued pressure from lower-cost Chinese production, and the contraction and consolidation of the North American printed circuit market. Electropac, a fabricator based in Manchester, New Hampshire, acquired PCC in October 2002. Electropac later closed its business and sold certain assets to Mass Design of Nashua, New Hampshire. PCC no longer operates as an independent brand.
History
Peter Sarmanian founded Printed Circuit Corporation in 1961 after returning from service in the Korean War and pursuing a technical undergraduate education at Northeastern University. The company began during the formative period of commercial computing, when independent printed circuit board suppliers were starting to replace in-house fabrication at computer and electronics manufacturers. PCC's early customers included RCA Computer Systems, Digital Equipment Corporation, and Data General Corporation. Sarmanian was an early practitioner of electro-chemical printed circuit board production. The process supported improved board reliability and greater packaging density, important requirements as computers and other electronic products became smaller and more sophisticated. PCC established itself in the New England market as a supplier of rigid boards, especially multilayer boards used in demanding electronic and industrial applications. The company's original market was the mid-range segment, serving regional minicomputer and technology companies. During the 1980s, Sarmanian responded to the growth of consumer electronics by entering lower-end, higher-volume business. This produced a more diversified customer base, but it also exposed PCC to a structurally difficult market. Offshore manufacturers increasingly dominated basic, semi-automated board production, using lower labor costs to quote prices that domestic manufacturers could not easily match. The collapse of the video-game-cartridge market caused additional losses. By 1995, PCC had shifted from a primarily mid-range customer base to an approximately balanced mix of mid-range and low-end consumer-electronics work. Consumer manufacturers were increasingly moving production to Asia, and PCC's profits had fallen sharply. Management changes in 1996 and 1997 initiated a turnaround based on abandoning unprofitable low-end work and returning to more complex boards. The company invested in laser drilling, improved solder-mask processes, and semi-automated testing systems to maintain competitiveness and meet industry requirements. The refocused business benefited from stronger printed circuit market growth in the second half of the 1990s. PCC expanded its Woburn-area operation to a 100,000-square-foot plant on the Boston-area Route 128 technology corridor. Around 2000, it employed about 240 people on two full shifts, with limited additional capacity for new prototypes. Glen Kashgegian was appointed president and chief operating officer in 2000. PCC also became an example of a regional manufacturer attempting to compete through process technology and management discipline rather than through the lowest possible price. Environmental and regulatory issues formed another part of PCC's history. In 1990, Massachusetts authorities imposed a substantial penalty after alleging numerous sewer-regulation violations over a two-year period and noncompliance with orders to stop. Five years later, the company's environmental improvements were highlighted in a joint study involving the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Institute and the University of Massachusetts Lowell. In 2001, ABC-TV's Business Now showcased PCC's production technology and management approach. PCC acquired the circuit-board fabrication business of CPC in Randolph, Massachusetts, in June 2001. The same year, Sarmanian died after cancer. The company subsequently faced the technology recession, customer migration toward lower-cost Chinese production, and a shrinking North American market. It filed for reorganization in September 2002 and was acquired by Electropac of Manchester, New Hampshire, in October 2002. Electropac later closed its operation and sold certain PCC-related assets to Mass Design in Nashua, New Hampshire. Printed Circuit Corporation is therefore a defunct independent manufacturer rather than an active operating brand.
- 2002
Reorganization and acquisition
[1]PCC files for reorganization and is acquired by Electropac later that year.
- 2001
CPC fabrication business is acquired
[1]PCC purchases CPC's circuit-board fabrication business in Randolph, Massachusetts.
- 2000
PCC reaches its reported peak scale
[1]The refocused company operates a large Boston-area fabrication plant and competes through process upgrades and complex mid-range production.
- 1996
Turnaround management is introduced
[1]New management begins moving PCC away from low-end consumer-electronics production and back toward technologically complex boards.
- 1995
Environmental improvements receive study attention
[1]A joint study by the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Institute and the University of Massachusetts Lowell highlights PCC's environmental advances.
- 1990
Environmental enforcement action
[1]The company receives a major Massachusetts sewer-regulation penalty following allegations of repeated violations and failure to observe stop orders.
- 1961
Printed Circuit Corporation is founded
[1]Peter Sarmanian establishes PCC in Woburn, Massachusetts, during the early expansion of the computer industry.
Products and positioning
A domestic, technology-oriented contract manufacturer focused on reliable and increasingly complex rigid printed circuit boards, particularly for mid-range industrial and technology applications.
Printed circuit boards
Rigid multilayer printed circuit boards
PCC's principal products were rigid printed circuit boards, with much of its output using multilayer constructions. The company produced four-, six-, eight-, and ten-layer boards for customers requiring higher circuit density, reliability, and more complex interconnection than basic single- or double-sided boards. These products supported applications in electronics, instrumentation, medical equipment, telecommunications, automotive systems, and computer-related hardware.
Contract manufacturing
Prototype and limited-production boards
The Woburn facility maintained limited additional production capacity for new prototype boards. This capability complemented PCC's contract manufacturing work by allowing customers to develop and introduce complex boards before moving into larger production runs. Prototype work was especially relevant to the company's mid-range positioning, where engineering requirements and product complexity mattered more than the lowest unit price.
Controversies
1990
Alleged sewer-regulation violations
PCC was fined after Massachusetts authorities alleged that it had violated state sewer regulations repeatedly over two years and had ignored orders to stop. The penalty was reported as the third-largest in Massachusetts Water Resources Authority history at that time.
Brand decisions
2001
Acquisition of CPC fabrication businessM&ABackground
PCC sought to expand its printed circuit manufacturing operations while serving a market increasingly affected by global price competition.
Action taken
The company acquired CPC's circuit-board fabrication business in Randolph, Massachusetts.
Aftermath
The expansion was followed by the death of founder Peter Sarmanian, a technology-sector downturn, reorganization, and PCC's acquisition by Electropac in 2002.
1996
Return to complex mid-range productionStrategyBackground
PCC's low-end strategy had become unprofitable as Asian suppliers captured much of the consumer-electronics business.
Action taken
New management shed low-end work and concentrated resources on more technologically complex mid-range boards, supported by process improvements.
Aftermath
The repositioning helped PCC participate in stronger late-1990s market growth, although it did not protect the company from the technology recession and subsequent industry consolidation.
1980
Diversification into lower-end, high-volume boardsStrategyBackground
PCC's traditional mid-range market was joined by rapidly expanding consumer-electronics demand, while offshore manufacturers were beginning to compete aggressively in simpler board fabrication.
Action taken
The company pursued lower-end, higher-volume consumer-electronics work alongside its established mid-range business.
Aftermath
The strategy increased exposure to video-game and consumer-electronics cycles and later contributed to severe profit pressure when customers shifted production to Asia.
Sources1 sources
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