Rogers Corporation: The Company Behind Top Performing Laminates

If you design PCBs for high-speed digital, RF, Microwave or Millimeter Wave applications, you’re probably very familiar with Roger’s laminates. However, did you know Rogers Corp has doubled in size in the past 10 years? Recently, while I was at IPC APEX Expo, I had the opportunity to interview Tony Mattingly, Sr. Product Manager and learn more about the company behind some of the world’s top-performing advanced circuit materials.

Judy Warner: Please tell us about your role at Rogers Corporation and give us a brief synopsis of the history of the company

Tony Mattingly: I am a Sr. Product Manager responsible for optimizing our product lines while ensuring that Rogers’ reputation for delivering high-quality solutions with industry leading service levels is maintained. Rogers is a global technology leader in specialty engineered materials that enable high performance and high reliability in markets such as electric vehicles, wireless infrastructure, automotive safety and portable electronics.  As one of the oldest public companies in America, Rogers was founded in 1832 as a paper manufacturer and has evolved into a global materials technology leader enabling a wide array of high-technology devices and systems. For over 40 years, our advanced circuit materials have been used in virtually every US space mission and today are connecting the world through network base stations and smart antennas. Over the last 10 years we’ve doubled our revenues, added 1850 employees globally, grown through acquisitions, and introduced an Innovation Center model to help accelerate commercialization of the next generation innovative products.

Warner: Rogers doubling in revenue in 10 years is impressive, what is driving that growth?

Mattingly: Primarily market segments such as 4G and 5G Wireless Infrastructure, Automotive Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, and Aerospace and Defense have been driving much of that growth. Rogers is very well positioned in those markets and has the material solutions our customers need. Going forward we see growth opportunities in the Low Earth Orbit satellite and ground terminal infrastructure. 

Warner: Being a large multinational company, how do you respond to constant movement and shifts in the geo-political landscape?

Mattingly: Rogers invested heavily in asset acquisition and has a global manufacturing footprint with numerous facilities in the US, Belgium and China. We have the flexibility to manufacture and supply products from any of these locations, which allows us to make adjustments to our supply chain when market conditions change. Having a robust business continuity plan in place ensures we can continue supplying our customers the products they require with little impact to them. 

Warner: Tell us about your innovation centers and the role they play for the marketplace and Rogers.

Mattingly: From 2014 through 2017 we launched several Rogers Innovation Centers. In the US we have one in Massachusetts and another in Arizona. We also have an Asia Innovation Center in China and the European Innovation Center in Germany. These were established to help advance our strategic core strength of innovation leadership with a mission to develop materials technology that will enable the next generation of products so Rogers continues our legacy of being first to market with solutions our customers need. 

Warner: What emerging markets are you noticing and how does Rogers respond in regards to technology development and capacity?

Mattingly: One that we’re very close to is the Low Earth Orbit satellite constellations and ground terminal infrastructure that is going to be implemented in the coming years. These systems are intended to bring internet access to all the places in the world that currently do not have coverage and there’s huge investments going on in this space. Rogers has developed the next generation of thin circuit board materials that brings to market a solutions package for multi-layer board designs, which is required for the systems within this market.

Warner: Any final thoughts you’d like to share with our readers?

Mattingly: Rogers has been around for almost 190 years and has been the innovation leader in markets that have helped shape our world. I enjoy being part of a great team and within a company that has such a long legacy, and excited about our future. I hope to be talking with you again soon about all the great things we’re working on.

Warner: Thank you for sharing this rare insider's view of Rogers Corporation with Altium’s design community.

Mattingly: Thank you, Judy! It’s been my pleasure.

Editor's Note: For educational tools and resources, as well as access data sheets on Roger’s materials join their TechHub here. You can also find information about 5G here.