Liz Coker grew up on a Tennessee farm, working hard stripping tobacco and picking cotton.  She married at 15, left her home state at the age of 18, and moved to Texas with the dream of finishing high school some day.

While working two jobs, one as a waitress and the other a bookbinder, Liz decided to pursue a position at Texas Instruments (TI), which meant she would need to complete her GED.   Unlike most students who would have to study or attend classes, Liz simply took the GED test and passed it, then joined one of Texas Instruments production lines.

Liz continued to take advantage of every educational opportunity she possibly could, including after-hours engineering and technical training, which allowed her to become the first female engineering technician at TI.  The first junior college, El Centro, opened in 1968 in Dallas, Texas and offered additional opportunities for Liz to pursue her education and her passion for electronics.    

Among Liz’s many leadership skills are her salesmanship and her ability to persuade.  She convinced TI to let her sell unpackaged semiconductors, a new product line at the time, to low volume users.  These low volume users earned Liz’s department recognition as one of the highest gross profit margins of all the TI divisions and set Liz on a path to her future success. 

Liz accepted an offer to be part of a new electronics business in California, an experience that set her entrepreneurial spirit in motion.  With the help of her three children, Liz started Minco Technology Labs, Inc. in 1981 and by the late 1980’s brought it to a $17 million business, serving those same low volume users, and employing 225 Team Members.  It was during the same time frame that Austin Semiconductor, Inc. the custom packaging group spun-off from Minco.  

Minco continued with 150 Team Members and $11 million in sales, working together to support company goals through teamwork and collaboration.  Liz has been dedicated and committed to the vision of a company where people love coming to work, being committed to excellence, and working together to accomplish goals and dreams.