When? Reaching the elusive ‘bottom’ and beginning recovery
• aberg and cut 55 workers in Vellinge, to pass the International Rail Industry Nordson Technology named John Keane
Sweden. Standard. VP of advanced technology systems after
• sold PartnerTech Poole to management. Visteon shifted 2,050 salaried workers to a Robert ‘Andy’ Dunn retired.
Perlos will close its manufacturing opera- 4-day workweek and cut their pay by 20% to Rehm Thermal Systems appointed Ac-
tions in Komarom, Hungary, by the end of match the reduction. celonix as its distribution partner in France,
June. VOGT electronic cut 219 employees in Er- Tunisia and Morocco.
PKC Group laid-off 28 workers in Poland; lau and Lehesten, Germany and 55 workers Rogers:
250 in Kempele, Finland; and 60 in Raahe, in Blejska Dobrava, Slovenia. • settled its dispute with CalAmp.
Finland. Winland Electronics promoted Glenn • froze salaries and cut about 10% of its
Plexus: Kermes to executive VP and CFO. salaried staffing worldwide.
• laid off 35 full time employees and an- Rohm & Haas:
other 100 contracted part time workers Materials & process equipment • sued Dow Chemical over delays in
in Nampa, ID. 3M: acquisition.
• became supply chain partner for Ixia. • cut its CAPEX by 30%. • cut work force by 900 jobs (5.7%) and
Rimaster laid off 25 workers in Rimforsa, • named Michael Roman VP and GM froze salaries.
Sweden. of newly formed Renewable Energy Shimadzu introduced Shimadzu 090112, a
RPM Electronics will close by April. Division. screening tool for RoHS & ELV.
Salcomp temporarily laid off 50 workers in • introduced high temperature masking SMT-Wertheim picked EPM-France as its
Finland. tapes for PCB assembly. new representative for France and Maghreb
Sanmina-SCI: AMI DODUCO introduced chemical territory.
• became an EMS provider for JDSU and nickel/palladium/gold surface finishing Teradyne reduced its worldwide staff by
will acquire certain manufacturing as- for super-thin gold plating used in wire about 14% and implemented a 10% broad-
sets, inventories, and employees related bonding. based temporary pay cut.
to JDSU’s operations in Shenzhen, Ascentech provided solderability testing Valor acquired PCB Matrix.
China. equipment to SMT Corp. XJTAG signed a distribution agreement
• CFO David White resigned. Asymtek: with Fuji Setsubi for the Japanese market.
• laid-off 400 workers in Tatabanya and • appointed Soo-Uk (Alex) Nam regional ZESTRON appointed Dr. Harald Wack
Szekesfehervar Hungary. sales manager in Korea and Henry president.
• trimmed executive compensation and Chang Hian Kwee regional sales man-
imposed at least two weeks of unpaid ager for Southeast Asia. semiconductors
leave for its employees worldwide in 2Q. • introduced ultra-fast fiducial locating • Global revenue by semiconductor
• former president and COO Joseph technology for printed circuit boards. foundries are expected to decline by
Bronson was named CEO of SVTC Automa-Tech became Altix. 24% in 2009, but will recover in 2010
Technologies. Cadence Design Systems appointed Lip-Bu and 2011 as more chip companies
Segue Manufacturing Services received Tan president and CEO. outsource production.—Gartner
ITAR Registration. Cobar promoted Karl Fischbeck to Ameri- • Global semiconductor sales fell by 2.8%
SEH Europe cut 58 employees. cas sales manager. y/y to US $248.6 billion in 2008.
Selem installed a FUJI CP643 machine and CVD Equipment doubled its orders in • Graphics chip shipments fell 28% y/y
a selective wave solder machine. 2008 to US $29M. in 4Q’08 to 72.4 million units.—Jon
Sparton: Encompass Group launched a PCB and Peddie Research
• appointed Gordon Madlock SR VP component recycling program. • Semiconductor equipment spending
operations and Mike Osborne SR VP Essemtec launched a new SMT pick & is projected to decline by 34.1 % in
business development and supply chain. place machine suitable for small lot flexible 2009.—Gartner
• received an extension on its US manufacturing. • The “$1 billion club” for semiconductor
$18,000,000 line of credit from Na- FCT Solder and FCT Recovery named capital spending is expected to see only
tional City Bank through May 1, 2009. Hess & Associates its manufacturers’ repre- five members in 2009, down from nine
STI Electronics: sentative in S. California. players in 2008.—IC Insights.
• moved into a new 54,000 SF facility in Hirai Seimitsu developed the world thin-
Madison, Alabama. nest SMT connectors (< 0.3 mm) for high- Walt Custer is an independent consultant
• named Lee Pulliam Outside Sales density flexible circuits. who monitors and offers a daily news service
Representative. Happy Holden’s HDI and Microvia and market reports on the PCB and assembly
Sunburst EMS appointed Dave Fahey VP Handbook can be downloaded free at www. automation and semiconductor industries. He
sales and marketing. hdihandbook.com. can be contacted at walt@custerconsulting.com
Telemasr received a LE 20 million loan Heraeus acquired Electronic and Decorative or visit www.
from Egypt’s Minister of Manpower and Im- Materials Business from BASF Catalysts. custerconsulting.com.
migration to fund early-retirement packages. Huntsman received a US $1 billion settle-
TeligentEMS received a “2008 World Class ment from Hexion & Apollo Management Jon Custer-Topai is vice president of Custer
Team Award” from Northrop Grumman. for a failed acquisition deal. Consulting Group and responsible for the
Titoma opened a Malmö, Sweden office to Kester appointed Assembly Solutions as its corporation’s market research and news analysis
provide end-to-end outsourcing solutions, representative for Washington, Oregon, and activities. Jon is a member of the IPC and active
covering design, plastic injection molding northern Idaho. in the Technology Marketing Research Council.
and mass manufacturing. Lamitec-Dielektra applied for insolvency. He can be contacted at
TT electronics’ Rogerstone, South Wales Mueller introduced a fixture-free solder jon@custerconsulting.com.
facility became UK’s first EMS provider station.
30 – Global SMT & Packaging – March 2009 www.globalsmt.net
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