World Micro Appoints New Quality Manager

ATLANTA, Jan. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia-based electronic components distributor, World Micro, Inc., announced today that it has appointed Gary Beckstedt to serve as the company's quality manager, heading the company's Atlanta headquarters quality department. Beckstedt's role will be to coordinate all quality programs and processes in Atlanta, including ISO standards programs, ESD programs, inspection and counterfeit detection, personnel training, and the U.S. Government's Qualified Suppliers List of Distributors (QSLD) program.  Beckstedt's appointment comes on the heels of a series of quality milestones.

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The company recently completed its audit for the ISO 13485 medical products certification, which allows World Micro to sell specialized electronics to the medical industry, and it gained a spot on the Federal Government's coveted QSLD list that lets the company supply specialized military and commercial grade products directly to the U.S. Department of Defense. Beckstedt continues to report to Art Ogg, the company's quality director. Ogg will be managing the upcoming startup of the company's Asian Hub in Penang, Malaysia.

"I am proud to have Gary take charge of our most important department, one which he himself helped to build," said Dan Ellsworth, president and CEO at World Micro. "His dedication to quality processes and anti-counterfeit programs is exemplary and he has played a vital role to help us obtain our recent certifications, that expand our ability to operate in the medical, military and aeronautics market segments," added Ellsworth.

Gary joined World Micro in 2002 as a technical buyer, moved on to sales support and then  transitioned to the more technical atmosphere of the QA department as an IDEA-ICE-3000 Certified Professional Inspector. He became World Micro's Electrostatic Discharge coordinator and assumed the role of ISO management representative prior to his appointment as quality manager. He has been in the electronics industry since 1987.

An armed forces veteran, Beckstedt received the majority of his formal training in the U.S. Air Force where he worked on Radar systems to support the Desert Storm and Desert Shield campaigns. His extensive background includes management roles in purchasing, sales, and engineering.

Gary was recently elected secretary for the Atlanta chapter of the Surface Mount Technology Association. He has received numerous technical awards and is a speaker at technical seminars and tradeshows. Gary lives with his wife in Acworth, GA,  and has one daughter.

About World Micro Components, Inc.

World Micro is a global Electronics and Aerospace Distributor focused on quality systems and leads the industry in detection of counterfeit components. Since, 1996, World Micro has helped purchasing and engineering departments at leading OEM, EMS, Defense, and ODM companies research, design, source, stock, procure, inventory, and manage board level components, embedded computing products and military/aerospace hardware. World Micro, Inc., is privately held and headquartered in Roswell, Georgia.  The company's website is www.worldmicro.com.

SOURCE World Micro, Inc.