NextFlex News – November 2019 Newsletter

Big Changes at NextFlex

It is with mixed emotions that I announce that Brynt Parmeter, our Director of Workforce Development, Education and Training has accepted a wonderful opportunity with Walmart as their Senior Director of Military Programs. Combining his deep experience in workforce development and the military, Brynt will be responsible for veteran recruitment and retention programs for Walmart who has made great strides in having hired over 243,000 veterans and over 14,000 military spouses in recent year. Brynt will continue this great legacy and we wish him all the best in his new role.

Director of Workforce Development, Education, and Training

Brynt will be succeeded by NextFlex Deputy Director of Workforce Development, Education and Training, Emily McGrath. Emily has been instrumental in the development of our flagship learning program, FlexFactor^® and its expansion across the country. In just three years, FlexFactor has grown from a pilot program with 8 students at Lincoln High School in San Jose to now having served over 4,400 students across the US. The results are truly phenomenal, and we are very pleased that Emily will step up to drive further growth of our workforce development program portfolio so that we can have a meaningful impact on the workforce of tomorrow. A critical part of our mission is to grow the workforce pipeline with qualified and interested young people to meet the needs of the Advanced Manufacturing sector in the coming years.

In support of its mission to advance Flexible Hybrid Electronics (FHE) manufacturing in the U.S., NextFlex’s San Jose, California headquarters facility has two cleanrooms and lab space for printing, device integration and testing and measurement, that are fully compliant with ITAR’s (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) quality standard requirements for military electronics, materials, and guidance equipment manufacturing as well as the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) medical device manufacturing Quality Systems Regulations (QSR) for good manufacturing practices.

The NextFlex Technology Hub is ITAR and FDA Compliant

NextFlex’s Technology Hub complies with ITAR and FDA standards for manufacturing.

With relevant defense devices produced at the NextFlex fabrication facility now ITAR-compliant and with both the Army and Air Force research laboratories serving important roles on NextFlex’s technical councils, both large defense contractors and startups alike can ensure they are meeting the needs and requirements of America’s military. Now, they can fill the gap between prototyping and full-scale manufacturing in a low-risk, cost-efficient way by using NextFlex’s full complement of FHE design, development and manufacturing services.

Similarly, with the NextFlex Technology Hub’s adherence to Quality Standard Requirements known as 21 CFR Part 820, now both large and small medical device manufacturers can benefit from advantages gained in speed to market and reduced development costs while still meeting FDA regulatory requirements.

These capabilities mark a major milestone in the evolution of NextFlex, and we’re very proud of this achievement. Please join me in wishing Emily and the whole workforce development team at NextFlex well and congratulating Art Wall and his team for the hard work in earning the ITAR and FDA compliance status.

Keep the good ideas coming,

Malcolm J. Thompson, PhD

NextFlex Executive Director