As more switch manufacturing shifts...

As more switch manufacturing shifts to low-wage areas, suppliers strive to differentiate themselves in ways other than pricing.

The appliance industry is making demands, and switch suppliers are feeling the squeezing OEMs are pushing down pricing, partly by dint of going to new, lower-cost sources. Established switch suppliers have corresponded by redoubling efforts to retain their costs down, not least on changing manufacturing locations.

According to Steve Hugener marketing manager, Cherry Electrical works (Pleasant Prairie, WI, U.S.), "While overall switch industry capacity has been fairly fiat, OEM have become more adept at accessing worldwide capacity, especially from Chinese manufacturers. In