Smith Names Ray Castaneda Vice President of Operations and Quality, NA and EMEA

Houston, TX (March 14, 2024) – Smith, a leading global distributor of electronic components and semiconductors, today announces the appointment of Ray Castaneda to the position of Vice President of Operations and Quality, NA and EMEA. In this role, Ray will lead the company’s operational activities and strategy at its distribution centers in Houston and Amsterdam and support the growth and development of the department’s workforce.

“It has been almost 25 years since my first day at Smith, and I am honored to be in the position I am in today,” said Ray. “My goal is to continue to move our operational efforts forward, with a focus on automation, paperless processes, and robotics. Additionally, I am excited to support our department’s efforts to create opportunities for our employees to grow and to empower our leadership to continue to make strategic decisions.”

Ray joined Smith as a high school co-op student in September 1999. He was later hired as part of the company’s Operations team for consignment services. In 2001, he was promoted to QC Specialist, where he helped to expand and enhance Smith’s visual-inspection processes before being promoted to the role of QC Supervisor in 2010. In that role, Ray was instrumental in building and developing the company’s first counterfeit-detection lab from the ground up. In 2014, he moved into his most recent role, Director of Operations and Counterfeit Detection, North America.

“Ray is a prime example of how consistency can lead you to great success,” said Art Figueroa, Chief Operating Officer. “From his beginnings on the Consignment team and facilitating that team’s move to a new location to helping to establish the counterfeit-detection lab, Ray has been a pioneer for Smith, building our collective infrastructure with his extensive knowledge of our processes and his deep emotional intelligence. Ray’s journey is a testament to the countless opportunities for employee growth at Smith and demonstrates that where you start may not be where you end up.”

About Smith

Founded in 1984, Smith is celebrating 40 years of Intelligent Distribution™. As the leading independent distributor of electronic components, Smith sources, manages, tests, and ships billions of components to partners worldwide in every industry and vertical. Offering a comprehensive suite of flexible and scalable supply chain solutions, Smith identifies and delivers customized service programs to support its customers’ success. The company’s expertise is backed by decades of market data, cutting-edge technology, and a systems-based approach to quality excellence. Smith has generated more than USD $12.9 billion in global revenue since 2019 and ranks sixth among all global distributors. Visit www.smithweb.com to learn more.

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For more information, contact:
Rich Witmer
Smith, Senior Director of Marketing
+1 713.430.2141