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It’s been an exciting time for EPTAC, an IPC training and certification center based in Salem, New Hampshire, which recently opened a new state-of-the-art training facility to much fanfare. To help celebrate this accomplishment, we spoke with some key individuals who tell the story of what truly makes EPTAC successful.
For over 35 years, EPTAC has built a reputation as a leading provider of IPC training and certification for the electronics manufacturing industry. It began in 1987 as a focused effort to deliver hands-on solder training and process expertise, and has evolved into a broad network of 24 training centers serving companies across North America.
What may surprise many is that EPTAC also offers professional services to manufacturers, including on-the-floor process audits and problem-solving. The opening of a new training facility in New Hampshire reflects the company’s continued growth and ongoing investment in workforce development and high-reliability electronics education.
“We train the industry,” said Jonathan Gilman, senior business development manager, who came to EPTAC nearly a year ago. He was a business owner and entrepreneur for over 30 years, during which time he did much of his own training. “That’s one of the reasons this resonated with me.”
He’s impressed by EPTAC’s “ridiculously high standards. We are constantly looking for more people who meet our standards. We turn away more trainers than we accept. Our worst trainer rating is a 4.6 out of 5. To say we are the Ivy League of training excellence is not an overstatement.”
Gilman is obviously proud of his employer. “When someone comes in for training with us, it is important that they understand it is about more than the PowerPoint,” he said. “We have customers who come away from our training and say that they learned a lot about how to train, in addition to the course material that brought them in. That’s quite a compliment.”
To continue reading this article, which appeared in the June 2026 issue of SMT007 Magazine, click here, and be sure to check out coverage on the opening of their new training center and headquarters, here.
