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Speaking of this Week -- March 28, 2003
December 31, 1969 |Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
By Christine F. Della Monaca
Speaking of this Week reflects on events in the electronics assembly industry every Friday.
What a week! IPC's book-to-bill ratio is through the roof, APEX is next week (despite the war), there's tons of progress news, and financial, personnel and alliance news poked its head up this week. We've also got a prediction. Hold on to your hats:
- First, Northbrook, Ill.-based IPC -- Association Connecting Electronics Industries' IMS/PCB Book-to-Bill Ratio, which jumped from 1.02 in January to 1.03 for February, even though sales billed in February 2003 decreased 23.6 percent year-over-year and orders booked decreased 16.2 percent. Meanwhile, the IMS/PCB Business Report stated that the IMS/PCB shipment index was at 103.0 and the IMS/PCB booking index was at 101.4 in February. Shipments were up, but bookings are down. With spring around the corner, it's a time of hope, and likewise these statistics mean good things for the electronics assembly industry are right around the corner, I think.
- As mentioned, tons of progress: The Minneapolis-based SMTA opened an office in Shenzhen, China, and in similar Asian news, OMRON Corp. completed construction on its Keihanna Technology Innovation Center in Kansai Science City, Japan. Quebec City-based EXFO Electro-Optical Engineering Inc. had some good news with a US $1.6 million order from a prominent Tier 1 network service provider, while Goleta, Calif.-based Indigo Systems Corp. will deliver infrared Integrated Detective Assemblies (IDAs) for Northrop Grumman Corp., Electronic Systems' 21th century F-35 joint strike fighter (JSF) program. Also, Scharding, Austria-based EV Group (EVG) shipped a complete product line to Waseda University Japan. In award news, Carlsbad, Calif.-based Asymtek was named a recipient of Intel Corp.'s Preferred Quality Supplier (PQS) Award on Wednesday, while Portsmouth, R.I.-based International Manufacturing Services Inc. (IMS) was rated 100 percent, or A+, by its customer Interpoint in a recent Vendor Performance Report. Finally, Kissimmee, Fla.-based DiagnoSYS Systems announced a number of changes and initiatives, which stem from the company's acquisition of the board test and telecom division of a major competitor last fall.
- With the war in Iraq raging on, IPC assured us that IPC Printed Circuits Expo 2003 and APEX 2003 would go on as scheduled, with additional security in place to ensure everyone's security. Meanwhile, Herndon, Va.-based trade organization NEMI will present its findings from the optoelectronics chapter of its 2002 roadmap at the Strategies in Optical Manufacturing Conference and the Optoelectronics Microsystems International (OMI) Conference, both taking place next month. And Teradyne Inc.'s Connection Systems Division will sponsor the International Engineering Consortium's (IEC) DesignCon East 2003, taking place in June. Finally, the Minneapolis-based SMTA announced the members of its International Technical Committee, focused on creating a strong technical conference for SMTA International in September.
- Some bits of financial news: Hong Kong and Fremont, Calif.-based ASAT Holdings Ltd. presented at the Credit Suisse First Boston Asian Investment Conference yesterday, while Milpitas, Calif.-based Solectron Corp. reported fiscal second quarter sales of $2.8 billion, in line with guidance of $2.8 to 3 billion. Finally, Lake Success, N.Y.-based Park Electrochemical Corp. declared a regular quarterly dividend of 6 cents per share.
- Some sad personnel news: Harold H. Powell, founder and chairman of Philadelphia-based Powell Electronics Inc., passed away a week ago today. According to a press release, the company he founded is among America's largest and most successful independent, privately owned electronics distributors. In happier news, Greenville, S.C.-based KEMET Corp. named Jeffrey Graves, Ph.D. president and chief executive officer.
- Alliance news moves into the background this week with just one announcement: Montreal, Canada-based AIM Solder appointed Germany-based Rubroeder: Factory Automation GmbH as its German distributor.
- Finally, a forecast: Alameda, Calif.-based Technology Forecasters Inc's most recent Quarterly Forum for Electronics Manufacturing Outsourcing and Supply Chain, customers' supply chain requirements now include environmentally preferable purchasing criteria to create a more stable platform for global growth.
This just in: According to this week's Quick Vote, 44 percent of you said medical applications are not important to your company, 38 percent of you said important, 31 percent of you said very important, and 6 percent of you don't know.
Have some insight on the industry? See something you don't agree with? Think I'm right on? Send it all to me at mailto:christinef@pennwell.com.