OUR STORY
Express Manufacturing Inc. (EMI) was founded in 1982, fueled by the determination and entrepreneurial spirit of the American Dream. The Chin family, originally from Macau, immigrated to the United States with little technical knowledge but a great interest in electronics. Driven by curiosity and ambition, they began studying circuitry and assembly, eventually launching their journey into electronic manufacturing.
Starting with a ping pong table as their workstation, the four brothers, two sisters, and their parents worked tirelessly to assemble printed circuit boards (PCBs) by hand—long before Surface Mount Technology existed. After six months of working from their garage, the family pooled their life savings and took a bold leap, moving into a 1,200-square-foot office space.
EMI’s breakthrough came with AST Research, their first major customer, for whom they manufactured Apple memory packs and computer add-on cards. CP Chin, EMI’s President and CEO since its inception, began his electronics career as an assembler for AST Research. Reflecting on their early days, CP recalls, “We shared everything, and things were incredibly tight. My original career goal was to become a clothing tailor, but we saw the future in electronics and seized the opportunity.”
By the end of 1983, EMI had moved into a larger facility, grown to a team of 90 employees, and established itself as one of Southern California’s fastest-growing contract manufacturers. During this time, EMI supported prominent companies like Kingston Technology and Xerox.
Today, over 40 years later, EMI is a leader in electronic manufacturing services (EMS). With more than 600 employees in Southern California and over 500 team members overseas with EMI China and EMI Vietnam, EMI continues to innovate and expand, delivering high-quality solutions to a global market.