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Speaking of this Week -- October 18, 2002
December 31, 1969 |Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
By Christine F. Della Monaca
Speaking of this Week reflects on the electronics assembly industry every Friday.
Progress, progress, progress! It's so good to see. Financial results hit the street this week, showing a mixed picture of the industry's health, as always. In the meantime, there's only one alliance announcement, while a huge personnel announcement was made. Finally, there's the requisite trade show news, and the industry continues to contemplate its place in the world. Hang on:
- The Minneapolis-based SMTA has established student chapters to strengthen the ties between industry and the academic world, as well as introduce students to the organization. Bravo. Parsippany, N.J.-based Matheson Tri-Gas Inc. has launched a new Web site to coincide with its product catalog release. Two awards were handed out this week as well. Madison, Ala.-based Nextek Inc. won the U.S. Small Business Administration's "Administrator's Award for Excellence for 2001," while the Flexible Printed Circuit operation of Methuen, Mass.-based Parlex Corp., located in Shanghai, was awarded "Outstanding Supplier" status from Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. Two companies presented good news-bad news scenarios: Menlo Park, Calif.-based OK International is focusing on electronics and PCB markets, as well as other industries that present growth opportunities, but is losing its OK Industries office in Mount Vernon, N.Y. along the way. Similarly, Cham, Switzerland-based ESEC is focusing on the core businesses of die attach and wire bonding, but this means 60 employees will be out of a job. Over at Northbrook, Ill.-based IPC - Association Connecting Electronics Industries(r), the association's Training Certification programs have entered the digital age -- they now are available on DVD. Finally, Assembly Technology Expo, which took place last month in September, has been declared a success. The show boasted 12,048 attendees, up 5 percent over last year's figures.
- A mixed bag in financial news: Natick, Mass.-based Cognex Corp. announced its revenue for the third quarter, ended September 29, was at $31.8 million, down slightly from $33.8 million in the year-ago period. In similar news, San Jose, Calif.-based Cadence Design Systems Inc. saw third quarter pro forma diluted earnings per share of 15 cents, down 30 percent year-over-year, on revenue of $327 million. Over at Wallingford, Conn.-based Amphenol Corp., the news was rosier: Third quarter 2002 diluted earnings per share increased 23 percent to 48 cents per share compared to 39 cents per share for the same period in 2001. Good news for Amphenol stock holders, and even better news for the company.
- As mentioned, just one bit of alliance news: Merrimack, N.H.-based Xanoptix and Harrisburg, Pa.-based Tyco Electronics have come together in a multi-million dollar, multi-year joint strategic business agreement to promote Xanoptix's XTM Series of optical transceiver products. In return, Tyco gets the opportunity to manufacture transceivers with Xanoptix technology down the road.
- A huge piece of personnel news: Morrisville, N.C.-based Juki Automation Systems Inc. has a new president in Kaz Nomoto. Nomoto formerly was with Juki Corp. in Tokyo for 23 years. Meanwhile, Madison, Ala.-based Nextek Inc. appointed Mark S. Edwards as vice president of sales.
- Some upcoming trade show news: The MPM Conference 2002, sponsored by Nashua, N.H.-based Tecnomatix Technologies Ltd., will take place next week in Germany, providing a forum for discussing the digital factory of the present and future. IPC's Cyber University will begin on October 29, offering 14 hours of courses in the School of Business and International Relations and the School of Technology.
- Finally, more evidence that the industry is in a self-reflective mood comes from the flood of surveys that hit the market this week. To wit: Scottsdale, Ariz.-based In-Stat/MDR predicts that the PDA market will take off soon, driven by new components and better pricing. The research firm estimates that the PDA market will experience a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.6 percent between 2001 and 2006. Meanwhile, Oyster Bay, N.Y.-based Allied Business Intelligence Inc. (ABI) forecasts that Bluetooth will move beyond mobile and cordless handsets into computing devices in the coming years, and that Bluetooth IC shipments will rise from 11.2 million in 2001 to 33.8 million in 2002. Finally, Norwalk, Conn.-based Business Communications Co. Inc. weighed in on two subjects this week: the global market for diamond, diamond-like and CBN films, which is expected to reach $290 million by 2006; and the market for magnetic materials in the important market of China, which should rise to $5.2 billion in 2007.
Have some insight on the industry? See something you don't agree with? Think I'm right on? Send it all to me at christinef@pennwell.com.