Honest Components' WOSB Certification Reinforces Trust in Electronics Supply Chain Amid Counterfeit Surge

Semiconductor Review | Monday, July 07, 2025

As counterfeit electronic components increasingly jeopardize safety and reliability in military and medical equipment, Honest Components, led by President Jackie Schwab, has achieved Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB) certification from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

This milestone underscores the company’s safeguards against fake or counterfeit board-level components, with every order subjected to rigorous authentication by Global ETS (GETS), an independent AS6081 and ISO/IEC 17025 accredited lab. The move comes as industry reports highlight a 15% counterfeit rate in unverified components, amplifying the need for trusted suppliers in high-stakes sectors, where equipment failures could have dire consequences.

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“Honest Components has long prioritized quality over convenience, a stance reinforced by its proactive approach to counterfeit mitigation. The company sends all board-level components, new, obsolete, or hard-to-find, to GETS for testing, ensuring authenticity through advanced methods like X-ray inspection and decapsulation.

“This diligence is critical as the electronics industry grapples with a surge in counterfeit parts, particularly from recycled or mislabeled sources, which threaten mission-critical systems. Recent GETS test data validates this urgency, revealing a 15% counterfeit incidence rate among non-vetted components, validating the necessity of third-party verification,” Schwab emphasizes. “Our process protects clients from the risks of equipment breakdowns in life-or-death scenarios, from battlefield radios to hospital monitors.”

“The WOSB certification aligns with SBA initiatives to foster competitive small businesses, offering access to federal contracts where women-owned firms are underrepresented. While this opens access to strategic opportunities, our focus remains on operational excellence, not quotas.

“Honest Components’ extensive line card, featuring over 50,000 components from manufacturers like AMD and Intel, supports diverse project needs, from microcontrollers to capacitors, without compromising on quality. The company’s ISO 9001:2015 and AS9120B certifications further affirm our commitment to global standards,” adds Schwab.

Adding to its credibility, says Schwab, Honest Components holds ITAR registration, ensuring compliance with U.S. export controls for defense articles, and GIDEP membership, enabling collaboration to combat counterfeit proliferation. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) accreditation reflecting a strong customer trust record, while the 2024 Top Electronic Component Distributor award recognizes its industry leadership. “These credentials collectively signal a supplier equipped to handle the complexities of modern electronics supply chains.”

The rising threat of counterfeit components poses significant risks, with military estimates by GETS suggesting up to 15% of components may be fake. “These parts can lead to mission failures, medical errors, and billions in losses. We avoid conflicts of interest by relying solely on GETS’ unbiased testing. Honest Components counters this by avoiding the conflicts of interest seen in in-house testing, instead relying on GETS’ impartial expertise. This approach not only safeguards clients but also supports the broader industry by sharing data through GIDEP, fostering a collective defense against fraud,” Schwab notes.

“As demand for authentic components grows, fueled by trends in electric vehicles, self-driving cars, defense spending and green energy in general, it's crucial that board-level components receive the attention needed to ensure authenticity and completely eliminate counterfeit components,” she concludes.

As demand for authentic components continues to rise—driven by electrification, autonomous systems, and defense modernization—Honest Components stands ready with a singular focus: eliminating counterfeits through uncompromising integrity.

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