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WE ARE AMTEC TRONG THE
SAMTEC SIGNAL
WE ARE SAMTEC STRONG
Within the past few weeks, Samtec proved how STRONG we really are by coming together during this challenging time. While it is uncertain when this will end, we’ve focused on the present and all we have to be thankful for. In the next few pages, see how Samtec Cares and our caring Associates have responded.
COVID-19 GIVING OVERVIEW
OVER $200,000 Donated by Samtec Cares!
100,000+ Facemasks donated to many countries around the world. 100+ Lab coats donated to local hospitals. $10,000 Donated to feed out-of-work restaurant workers NUMEROUS OTHER DONATIONS INCLUDE: • Hospital Covid Relief Fund
• Mobile Testing
• Safety Glasses & Clorox Wipes
• Face Shields
• Toilet Paper
• Red Cross Donation
What zone are you in?
WE MAKE ESSENTIAL PRODUCTS Samtec is essential because our products are used in medical equiptment around the world! Here are a few end applications we have been building connectors for during the Pandemic!
Our customer Dyson, the U.K.-based manufacturer of vacuum cleaners and hand dryers, has retrofitted one of their production lines to build ventilators. They had been working with the U.K.’s National Health Service on this type of product before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and are now leveraging existing equipment and manufacturing processes to get these new ventilators to market as quickly as possible. Dyson has received an order from the U.K. government for 10,000 units. James Dyson, the company’s founder, said the company had designed and built an entirely new ventilator, called the “CoVent,” since he received a call 10 days ago from U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who was diagnosed with the disease late last week. COVID-19 can eventually make its way through the lungs where it can potentially enter the areas in where gas is exchanged. If these areas become infected they respond by pouring out inflammatory material into the air sacs that are at the bottom of our lungs. If the sacs are compromised, they become inflamed which leads to fluid entering the lungs and a case of pneumonia. When this happens, lungs lose much of their ability to take in a sufficient amount of oxygen, in turn making it difficult for the body to expel carbon dioxide. This is where pneumonia can oftentimes become deadly and where a ventilator can be a lifesaver. A ventilator gets oxygen into the lungs and body and removes excess carbon dioxide to aid in the respiratory process. The machine acts as an artificial set of lungs, doing the breathing for a person who cannot do so on their own. The Samtec U.K. team got Dyson’s new design because of – you guessed it – service. Our lead times are still best in the industry (especially now), and we’re doing “outrageous” and silly things like returning calls, sending quotes, and providing technical support. Dyson is using TSWs and SLWs in the CoVent equipment. Pictured below left is an example of a Dyson vacuum cleaner, and to the right is a CoVent ventilator.
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Our customer Genesi Electtronica specializes in the design and manufacturing of printed circuit boards for ventilators. Of course these are now a superhot commodity item for hospitals in the battle against Covid-19. Genesi’s biggest customer is Siare Engineering, the only Italian company that makes ventilators. The Italian government has asked Siare to expand their manufacturing capacity, even sending people to the company to help with procurement and manufacturing. Genesi purchases mostly core era 1 board-to-board products like TSW, ESQ, HTSW, TSM, and TMM. Pictured below is the Siaretron 4000 critical care ventilator. Thanks to Igor Sanvito for sharing this. BTW, Igor is one of our FSEs in Italy.
Our customer Inovio is a pharmaceutical company that specializes in utilizing DNA and antigen* sequencing to activate the immune system. The goal of this technology is to allow Inovio to isolate the DNA sequence of a virus, and from that they can construct a vaccine. Inovio is one of many such companies working on a vaccine to the COVID-19 virus. They participated in a meeting with the White House Coronavirus Task Force in early March. They received $9.2 million from the Department of Defense (which oversees homeland security), as well as a $5 million grant from the Bill and Melissa Gates Foundation. These funds are used to accelerate development and testing of their vaccine, which is currently in trial Phase Two. Their plan is to begin US-based clinical trials for a COVID-19 vaccine in April, to be followed by trials in China and South Korea. Their goal is to deliver up to one million vaccination doses by the end of 2020. Part of their plan is to build 1,500 3PSP hand-held devices. Each device has two mated sets of a Samtec T1M, S1SS cable assembly. Thanks to Brenda Herr for telling us about this application. Pictured below is an Inovio hand-held injection device, but I am not able to confirm that this is the 3PSP. ** BTW, an antigen is “a toxin or other foreign substance which induces an immune response in the body, especially the production of antibodies.” I think in this case it would be the virus.
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EMPLOYEE ASSOCIATE
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Have you ever wondered why we call you an Associate? It’s by no accident that we say Associate instead of employee. We think of all our “Associates” as stake holders; We value each one. We are a flat organization, which means no one is more important than anyone else. We work together. We put our differences aside in order to focus on the overall good of the company. We are a team. At Samtec, innovation is encoraged and feedback is heard. We put our differences aside to focus on the big picture, Samtec as a whole. An “Employee” works for their boss, whereas an “Associate” works for the overall corporate mission. We have leaders and managers, not bosses. We have common goals and can meet them quicker in our environment where everyone is equal. At Samtec, YOU matter.
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EXPRESS YOURSELF Not only have our Associates come together to help one another, but they are also helping others in the community! Countless Associates have made masks and even given them away to friends, family, hospitals, and more!
The Power of Prayer One thing I find a lot of personal peace in, is my faith in a God! Good times and bad. I’m so, so grateful that Samtec allows their associates the freedom of religion and the opportunity to express it during our free time while at work. Those who want to, have been gathering once weekly to pray and lift each other up during such times of uncertainty. I thought this might encourage others in the same way it has encouraged and emboldened me, to continue to support Samtec and our customers. Lori Carpenter Samtec Scottsburg
Music Connects Us My name is Danny Cruz, I’m working in Samtec Costa Rica and also I’m married. My wife is working from home because she works in accounting. Our government has told us to stay at home, so my wife and I decided to do some interesting activities, one of them has been singing. She sings like an angel and I try to play the piano with her. Doing something like this activity helps us to be a little bit calmer. On the other hand, I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to learn more English. This is my first email in another language and I’m happy for this goal.
Danny Cruz Samtec Costa Rica
Volunteering to help the Community We have been volunteering regularly as a family at the Utah Foodbank. Both sorting foods and delivering it to those in need. Early on in the local news it was said the Foodbank was short on Volunteers. That was a call to action to us and many others. People showed in waves to help out. It’s been a very humbling and rewarding effort. Furthermore, my wife is a nurse working on the front lines. We pray daily that she and, frankly, all healthcare employees can get through all of this safely while administering to those who have Coronavirus.
Dave Morgan Utah FSE
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Mental Health MATTERS
May is Mental Health Awareness Month Things you can do to support yourself: • Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including social media. Hearing about the pandemic repeatedly can be upsetting. • Take care of your body. Take deep breaths, stretch, or meditate. Try to eat healthy, well-balanced meals, exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep, and avoid alcohol and drugs. • Make time to unwind. Try to do some other activities you enjoy. • Connect with others. Talk with people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling.
Box Breathing Box breathing is a powerful, yet simple, relaxation technique that aims to return breathing to its normal rhythm. This breathing exercise may help to clear the mind, relax the body, and improve focus. Here is how it works: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Close your eyes. Breathe in through your nose while slowly counting to four. Hold your breath inside while slowly counting to four. Slowly exhale...while slowly counting to four. Rest without breathe, you’ve guessed it,while slowly counting to four.
Repeat the steps for 4 minutes, or until calm returns.
Do what you LOVE It makes you feel good when you do things you love. In the following pages, our Associates share their hobbies and activities that make them feel ALIVE.
DO WHAT YOU LOVE
I am always on the move and active. So for relaxation, I love to dive. I have been diving for many years. The most impressive part of diving is the weightlessness I feel when in the water. It’s a bit like being in space. I have a strong feeling of freedom in this environment! My fondest memories are snorkeling in the Cenotes in Mexico, and with the manta rays in Bali. I’ve also dove on the SS Thistlegorm which sunk in 1041 in the Red Sea. There, I encountered black tip sharks. In the Dominican Republic, I dove in fresh water with sturgeons, and saw many muticolored fish in Costa Rica. Some other dives I’ve had were in France, Italy, Spain, Croatia and the Martinique Islands (where I saw many turtles), Guadeloupe, Mauritius, Malaysia, Cyclades in Greece, Cuba, Thailand and Sicily. So basically anytime I can find water, I dive! But I still have lots of places I want to explore.
Pascal Bouyer Samtec France
My boyfriend is an avid scuba diver and has been all over the world diving. He has multiple certifications. He needed more diving buddies so he talked to my son, future son-in-law, and I about getting certified. We started with the introduction dive on a vacation in Hawaii. The boys loved it (they were both competitive swimmers and prefer the water over land). I was able to complete it, but I am not as comfortable in the water. We returned from Hawaii to daily life. I took the online class to get the bookwork and tests complete, so did my future son-inlaw. My son took Scuba as an elective at Oregon State. He did his open water certification in Hood Canal Washington, it was freezing cold and snowing the day he did it. This past Christmas we returned to Hawaii. Originally it was just going to be a trip for my boyfriend and me. I was going to take private lessons, do a lot of pool work, then attempt my open water certification. Well, the kids thought they should get to go too, so it ended up being all of us. My private lesson turned into semi-private with my future son-in-law (the competitive collegiate swimmer) getting certified together. He had no trouble at all, could do all of the skills and drills without issue. I, on the other hand, was not comfortable being 45 feet underwater, removing my regulator, and practicing “buddy breathing” along with all of the other skills needed to be a safe, certified, scuba diver. The ones that were really hard were “sipping air” while underwater from a free flowing regulator, and when they turn off your air so you “know what it feels like.” I spent two days on land and in the pool doing drills and practicing, then we did the open water test. I was pretty nervous so I went through a lot of air but I managed to get it done. On both of my certification dives I saw a shark. The first dive was a ten foot long reef shark, not a big deal, they are docile. My second dive we saw a 14 foot TIGER shark, big deal, we are on the menu! I stayed my distance, remained somewhat calm, and blew lots of bubbles as sharks don’t like bubbles.
Cindy Diegel Samtec Wilsonville
A picture of Cindy with a shark puppet. If you see a shark on your dive they take your picture with the shark puppet.
IF I HAD A SOLO PURPOSE IN LIFE, IT WOULD BE TO CREATE
My name is Charles, but online I’m Totsdraws. This stems from my nickname, “Tots” I’ve been doing art since I was a child and have used multiple mediums throughout the years. Portraits have been my main focus lately, but I also enjoy doing anime style character designs,... and drawing Tater tots. Most of my days consists of drawing and internet browsing for inspiration or reference material. I very much enjoy spending countless hours drawing in coffee shops, and chatting with people that pass by. I’ve met great people and have had wonderful conversations on and offline because of art. I often offer words of encouragement to troubled ones reaching out to me. To all other artists, I beg for you to never give up on your creativity.
Charles Vaughn New Albany
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My passion is curling.
Josh enjoys helping the community.
When I was 8 years old, I curled while living in Fort Wayne, IN and enjoyed it but never took it further. But then the US won the Curling Gold Medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics. That’s when I decided it might be fun to start curling again. It got me out of the house one night a week in the cold winter months. A small group of Louisville residents had the same idea but no club existed. So we established Kentucky’s first curling club, called the Derby City Curling Club.
I am a newly elected New Albany City Councilman representing the 5th District. The 5th District is essentially both sides of Charlestown Rd. from Blackiston Mill Rd to Hedden Pk.
We currently have 60 members and have taught over 500 people the fun of curling through our 2 hour Learn-to-Curl sessions we offer. This year we’ve created League play which offers open curling for members to develop their skills. The next big move will be finding a facility to dedicate ice for curling only. We need to double our membership and raise a lot of money to get there, but that will give us more control over the ice conditions and more access to time on the ice. In January, we had Tyler George visit. He was on the Olympic team that won the first US Gold Medal. He was touring the US as an ambassador for curling. Not many people get to say they held an Olympic gold medal, but I can. Our club has members as young as 11 years old, some older than me, wheel chair participants and those that just enjoy sharing a few beers over friendly competition. We are always looking for more members. So, as we say after every game with a handshake and a smile “Good curling.”
Joe Sorg New Albany
My motto during the campaign was “Revive District Five” and it’s exciting to see all the progress our grassroots movement has made over the last year plus! It really paid off. After over a decade of decline, the Colonial Manor Shopping Center now has a private investor. The investor will be developing the property to be used for retail, medical, and other services. It’s a big WIN for all of us in the district and it could potentially create growth much like we saw in the downtown area when the YMCA was built. Connecting with our neighbors, being a voice for them has been rewarding as well. Often, politicians campaign hard during an election cycle but disappear after the first Tuesday in November. I am not that way. I host monthly coffee meet ups and I stay connected to our community. I understand that people give politicians power and responsibility by voting for us. And all politicians need to remember that. I sure will.
Josh Turner New Albany
Sportfishing makes me feel alive! I got into sport-fishing over the last 2 years and am completely addicted! My favorite deep see fishing destinations are Cabo, MX and the Florida Keys. I eat what I catch and my favorites are Mahi, Wahoo, Cero, Tuna and Tripletail. The fish in the picture are Mahi.
Whitney Robertson New Albany
I feel alive by complimenting others. By telling others they look good, how pretty they are or how good their hair looks. I enjoy smiling at people to get a smile back. My late husband passed in ‘07 at the age of 44 with a massive heart attack. We had 22 wonderful years together and were best friends. This April 4th would of been our 35th Anniversary. He always told me how pretty I was, how thoughtful I was or how I made others feel better about themselves. He did the same to others! He showed me that love for others is more important than anything you could do for them. And that a comment or action from you could save someone’s life, you just never know! He showed me and our children how to put others first! This was more of a blessing than any amount of money! He was so excited to see people happy and to feel good about themselves! He was such a wonderful husband, awesome father, valuable friend. Just a great person and this is one way I can keep him alive! We have three wonderful children and five awesome grandkids that has learned from seeing this!
Karen Deaton New Albany
NEVER ON YO ADVEN
GIVE UP OUR LIFE NTURES
What makes me feel alive is my passion for hot air ballooning. My name is Don Dougherty and I am a Process Engineering Technician at Samtec Microelectronics in Colorado Springs. I started ballooning in 1979 when I was eight years old. My neighbors, at the time, got my family involved as a chase crew for their hot air balloon. Currently, I am a commercial hot air balloon pilot and have been flying since 1989. I travel to several hot air balloon festivals throughout the year too. Some of the places that I have traveled are: Post Mills, VT; Albuquerque, NM; Rio Grande Gorge in Taos, NM; Gallup, NM; Black Hills of Custer, SD; McCook NE; Snowmass, CO; Steamboat, CO; Telluride, CO; Durango, CO and El Jabel, CO. But one of my favorite, and more notable flights, was flying past Mt. Rushmore in Custer, SD. About 4-1/2 months ago, a life changing event occurred. I took it upon myself to have my heart health checked out. The results turned out to show excessive blockage of my arteries. I ended up having open heart triple bypass surgery. I am glad I did this and feel very happy to still be alive. But after, I needed to prove to myself that this surgery didn’t crush my passion for ballooning. Myself and another pilot friend of mine decided to do something extreme—flying his hot air balloon for as far as we could with limited amount of fuel which is referred to as a “long jump”. We launched the hot air balloon from Colorado Springs, CO, then climbed to an altitude of 16,800 feet, and landed 110 miles away in the town of Hasty, Colorado. This took us 2 hours and 40 minutes with a top speed of 73 miles per hour. This was something so special! It’s not normal, or easy, for a hot air balloon to travel this far and at such a speed. Most hot air balloon flights average a distance of five to eight miles with speeds less than ten miles per hour. This flight was a testament for me to take risks and challenge myself to never give up on life adventures.
Don Daugherty SME- Colorado Springs
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I love skiing!
We love cars and racing.
It has become part of my life since the winter of 2010 when I was in Colorado. It all started when my friends invited me on a trip to a skiing resort. I didn’t have any experience but wanted to go with them. But they told me it is a waste if you don’t ski. So before I went, I read a book and watched a few skiing videos. I pretty much taught myself how to ski for the first time. When I moved to Harrisburg in 2010, I met a friend who was a regular skier. He told me about Roundtop Mountain Resort in Harrisburg area. That got me back into skiing. Since then, I’ve been skiing for almost 9 years now. I’ve made significant progress and really enjoy it. I love the cold and beautiful views of the mountains, oh, and of course the fresh air. Skiing not only helps me stay in good shape and health, but also improves efficiency at work.
Our group, Jordan Crosier - night shift Automation Tech, Brian Whitworth and Al Fisher, Machine Build Group, and I have known each other for several years through cars and racing. The past few years we have gotten more serious about it. We now travel together during the racing season which lasts March - October. We race nearly every summer weekend. Our travels include Michigan to Georgia to St Louis and Ohio. Jordan and myself both campaign are own cars. Jordan owns a 1800hp turbocharged ‘95 Mustang Cobra, and I have a 2500hp supercharged ‘68 Camaro. We run in what are called “Outlaw Heads Up” classes where the only limitation is tire size, other than that it’s wide open. Al Fisher is our main man when we are racing. He does everything from helping to load up, fueling the cars between rounds and much, much more. This year, we have a jam packed racing schedule and it can’t get here soon enough!
Mick Zhou
Ryan Harper
Harrisburg, PA
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New Albany
I am a private pilot with big dreams. I had the opportunity of a lifetime to rent this airplane with an instructor for an hour and a half. And man, was it mindblowing. My happy place is strapped to a Red Bull racing airplane. It is built with carbon fiber and has a Lycoming engine pushing 300 HP. It can fly straight up to 10,000 feet with loops, spins and stalls of all kinds while pulling 7Gs and higher. We then took a spin through the Red Rock Canyon doing 150 mph at only 20 feet away from the walls of the canyons. Lastly we executed a low level bombing run and blew up a jeep in the middle of the Mojave desert at almost 200 mph at 20 feet above the ground.
James Manno Erie, PA
In my spare time, I like to design robots, and different sets of electronics that I can either use to improve my life, or to push my limits on what I can create. I feel alive working with these because I use what I know to help people. Here’s a little bit of my background. When I was in school, I spent many years working with a team to design Robots to compete in different competitions around the country. This competition was known as “First Robotics.” Working with these giant robots was exhilarating because it’s not very often you see such complicated mechanisms working to complete a common goal. In my college years I designed a wearable device that tracks a person’s heart rate as well as their oxygen level. It also tracks a person’s upper body movements, helping those in the physical therapy field. It’s widely used in the Military. I am currently designing an Industrial Robotic Arm that I have many ideas of use. I love creating things from scratch that fully interact with the world for a purpose.
Michael Couron Mesa, AZ
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A LIFELONG LOVE OF HORSES 23
Riding horses makes me happy. My parents found a local barn and enrolled me horseback riding lessons when I was 6 years old because I would not leave them alone about wanting to ride horses! My trainer, at the time, had a small lesson program and all students were also part of the Equine 4-H program in Jefferson County KY. We worked summers at the barn learning not only how to ride, but the responsibility of caring for horses. We learned about proper feeding and maintenance of horses and we helped care for every horse in the barn. Everything I learned about riding and caring for horses is still useful today. I officially started showing when I was 10. We participated in local schooling shows and 4-H shows, and I got to learn a variety of riding styles including hunt seat, saddleseat, and a little bit of western. However, I fell in love with the American Saddlebred when I helped care for my trainers show horses. I’ll never forget the year I cared for “Magic Potion” and was able to go help out and watch them show at the Worlds Championship Horse Show in Louisville for the first time. I was 12. The horse I own today is an American Saddlebred named Late Night Champagne, we call him Fizz. I enjoy a lot of variety in my riding, and love to trail ride as well as in competition riding saddleseat, hunt seat,
western. I also love driving horses in a cart at horse shows. Last year, I added jumping to the mix and my horse and I are learning that together. He’s better at it than I am so far! I believe show horses are not “one trick ponies” and if you allow them, they can go from the trail, to the show ring, to the jumping ring, and then some. Versatility and athleticism are my favorite things about my horse, and the American Saddlebred breed in general. I have been lucky enough to show at not only local breed specific shows and open all breed shows, but on the National and World Championship levels as well. I won a National Championship in Pleasure Driving in 2011, showed in Hackney Pony pleasure driving at the World Championship in 2011 with my pony, Tuffy, and in Adult Show Pleasure in 2019 on one of my Trainer’s client’s horses, who we call Bubba. My horse and I won a reserve KY County Fair High Points Championship in our division in 2019. The barn I ride at, Phoenix Farm in Versailles, KY, participates in horse shows as well as public demonstrations and potentially a parade or two this year. We travel mostly in KY, but also to IN, OH, WV, and TN. We don’t discriminate against going to any state, if the gate is open we love to show up if we can! We have big plans for this year and even next year already!
Kayla Woods New Albany
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Seeing new sights with family.
There are lots of things I love but the main TWO are:
The SXS idea originated as a bonding activity with my son. He wasn’t into athletics whatsoever, but anything with wheels, he loved. It evolved into something bigger than that over the last 4 years. I participate in group rides once a month, if weather permits. My wife, Julie Sanderson (Samtec Associate), rides with me now. She was reluctant for some time. The large rocks and mountains intimidated her. The rewards of the views and vistas overcome those apprehensions quickly though. Things you just can’t see any other way.
ONE: Karate – it’s a way of life for me. I’ve practiced Karate for nearly 40 years and hold a 5th degree Black Belt which is the highest rank in this style of Karate. I mastered it couple years ago. I’ve taught Karate for nearly 30 years now. Kids as small as 6 years old. Many of whom are adults now and also Black Belts. I teach adults group as well. One of my students was a World Champion in a competition in France few years ago. He started learning Karate at the age of 6 years. That is a great achievement.
Navigating trails in the mountains is simply exhilarating. The bonus: I have met some lifelong friends that I otherwise probably would have never met. Our trip planned in September to Colorado is with four couples who I met through riding SXS. The funny thing is, none of the four couples live in the same state!
Derek Sanderson New Albany
This is not a hobby for me, of course, this is a way of life and has changed my life in all aspects. Karate beliefs and training are helpful for business & relationships and in many other areas. TWO: RC airplanes – I have flown toy airplanes for years. I have between 35-40 models, includig prop airplanes, jets and whatever can fly. The models are replicas of the real airplanes and come in small and large sizes. I have a few up to 2 meters long. Some examples are: Mustang, Spitfire, Cessna, T28, F4 Phantom, F5, F14, F15, F16, F18, F86 and many more. This is a great hobby, I wish I had more time to do it, unfortunately, only on some weekends.
Ofer Dimant Israel
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I love to ride my Harley-Davidson. What makes me happy is when I ride my Motorcycle. I have a Harley-Davidson and I ride it at least once a month. I enjoy visiting small towns and and trying different foods and cultures.
Israel J. Diaz Mexico - FSE
Paintball has always been something I enjoyed playing. I casually would play from time to time with my family for a birthday party here or there. Eventually I bought my own paintball marker, and equipment and started to play more on my own. While playing a few games I was invited to join a team practice as a guest, for a team called Louisville Fusion. After playing a few games and practicing with them I found myself getting hooked to the fast paced and action packed games of “speedball” and “X-Ball”. Both are fast paced games of 5 on 5 teams trying to score as many points as possible in a 12 minute time limit. You score a point by eliminating the other 5 people or hitting a buzzer on their home goal. After I officially joined the team, I quickly learned it was just one big family out to have fun every other weekend for practice. We compete in tournaments almost monthly from March to November, with several of them being in Louisville. The last tournament we played in was the Louisville Christmas Cup where we took 2nd place. We will be playing our first tournament of the year on March 28th and 29th to kick our 2020 season off in division 4 paintball.
Shaw Ray New Albany
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MAKE SOMETHING OLD, NEW AGAIN
Dave Morgan uses reclaimed wood for woodworking projects! About six years ago, one of my teenage daughters asked, numerous times, that I build her a vintage, aged wood headboard, similar to the design style from the hit TV show “Fixer Upper.” So, I finally got around to it. But then my other daughter wanted one, and then a family friend commissioned one, and . . . well, you get the picture. These first few reclaimed barnwood style projects have, quite by accident, turned into a thriving side business. By working nights, weekends and even taking Samtec vacation time for larger projects, it’s grown into Ute Woodworks (#Ute_Woodworks on Instagram). I named it out of respect for the Ute Indian Tribe from the great outdoors state of Utah, where I am from. In addition to the 60+ headboards, I have also constructed residential and commercial barnwood accent walls, desk and table tops, benches, frames, wall maps, mantles and more. I’ve been asked where I get the reclaimed wood, the short answer is— everywhere. I buy large plank barnwood or gather old pallet, deck & fence wood from all around. It’s great to repurpose this aged wood into functional art and furniture. Most of it would otherwise head to the landfill. Just like Samtec, this is a “built to order business” with a steady demand, I’m happy to say. I also enjoy making items for special charitable projects. Like headboards that go to help cancer victims, or home renovations for a family in need. Also, community and youth service projects. Helping others gives me a strong sense of accomplishment as well as a little therapy in doing so.
Dave Morgan FSE in Utah
TRADITIONAL LION DANCE
Samtec Penang arranged a thrilling lion dance performance to celebrate Chinese New Year on February 4, 2020 (The 11th day of the First Lunar Month). Lion dance is a form of traditional dance in Chinese culture and other Asian countries in which performers mimic a lion’s movements in a lion costume to bring good luck and fortune. The lion, a symbol of power, wisdom, and good fortune, was supposed to chase away evil spirits and bring happiness, longevity and good luck. It also signified abundance in everything this new year. All Samtec Penang Associates attended this event. During the performance day, associates are welcome to dress up with Chinese Traditional Costume.
The celebration began with the lighting of firecrackers outside of lobby and performs through every department. The lions were then rewarded with mandarin oranges; they spit out the orange skin and pith, representing good luck. The mandarin orange was also arranged into auspicious words and numbers, with wishes for a year of stability and prosperity. Lastly, the lion dance will be ended by performing the traditional custom of “cai qing” or “picking of greens”. After the dance performance, associates crowded around the display of mandarin oranges and attempt to figure out the combination of numbers to try their lottery luck. Maybe, there were a few lucky winners amongst us?