Around the Circuit
INDUSTRY NEWS
Ansoft Corp. has successfully completed its acquisition of Boulder Microwave Technologies Inc. Under the terms of the agreement, Ansoft will exchange a combination of stock and cash valued at approximately $1.5 M for all of Boulder Microwave's outstanding shares. The transaction is intended to be accounted for as a purchase.
Semiconductor Packaging Materials Company Inc.'s wholly owned subsidiary, Retconn Inc., Torrington, CT, has completed its acquisition of custom cable and cable harness assembly manufacturer ST Electronics Inc., Rancho Cordova, CA. Retconn designs and manufactures D-subminiature coaxial contacts and subminiature coaxial connectors primarily for manufacturers in the communications and computer industries.
Tracor Aerospace Inc., a subsidiary of Tracor Inc., has purchased Calspan SRL Corp.'s Military Products Group. The Military Products Group is based in Dayton, OH and designs and manufactures displays, monitors, radar scan converters, symbol generators and night vision goggle-compatible beacons for the US Air Force special forces and other customers. Tracor Aerospace plans to retain a contingent of employees in Dayton while integrating manufacturing operations into the company's Austin, TX headquarters.
Lockheed Martin Microwave's Semiconductor Division has become part of L-3 Communications, a newly formed company that supplies high technology, secure communications systems; avionics, telemetry, instrumentation and microwave products; and support services to aerospace prime contractors and other commercial customers as well as to the US military and federal agencies. To maintain continuity among the L-3 Communications companies, the Semiconductor operation will become part of Narda Microwave-East, one of L-3 Communications' divisions. In related news, Narda Microwave-East has received its official certificate of registration to ISO 9001.
EMC Technology is planning to transfer ownership of its connector line, including all drawings, assemblies, bills of material, process procedures, inventory piece parts and finished goods, to Micro Lambda. Micro Lambda has been a distributor for EMC for over 20 years and guarantees the same quality, reliability and manufacturing standards provided by EMC.
To better reflect its focus on designing and manufacturing advanced test and measurement equipment for the wireless industry, Allen Telecom's Grayson Electronics division has changed its name to Grayson Wireless. The division also has moved to a new, state-of-the-art facility in Forest, VA that will be shared with Allen Telecom Systems division's research and development team.
Sierra Semiconductor, Burnaby, BC, Canada, has changed its name to PMC-Sierra Inc. effective June 13. According to Jim Diller, CEO and chairman, the name change reflects the company's focus on the high speed networking market.
Global communications product manufacturer Andrew Corp. is scheduled to open a 50,000-square-foot plant in Suzhou, China to manufacture base station antennas; HELIAX" coaxial cable, connectors and accessories; and other products for the wireless market in China. Construction began in August, and the facility is expected to begin production in October 1998.
Rogers Corp. has completed a significant expansion of manufacturing capacity for flexible circuit materials at its Circuit Materials Division in Chandler, AZ. The added capacity allows the company to offer improved service to its customers with better on-time delivery and a broader range of material options.
Electronics manufacturer Kyocera America Inc. (KAI) is expecting to spend $11 M over the next two years to upgrade its semiconductor packaging facility in response to increased demand from the telecommunications industry. The company has already spent $25 M over the last five years to revamp its 30-year-old Kearny Mesa, CA facility. KAI will spend $6 M to purchase automated equipment and expand the ceramic package manufacturing line, doubling the division's weekly output. Another $5 M will be spent to expand the company's nickel- and gold-plating operation, which includes adding a 3700-square-foot plating facility.
Remote intelligent communications (RIC) technology provider Micron Communications Inc., Boise, ID, has signed an agreement authorizing Control Dynamics to use the Micron Communications MicroStamp" family of products to develop integrated systems solutions for its customers. Control Dynamics intends to offer RIC systems solutions to users by providing site-specific designs, customized software interface design and development, systems installation and post-installation service.
Stanford Telecommunications Inc. has entered into an agreement with Alcatel to develop and market the Alcatel 9900 WW product family, which applies wideband technologies to radio access solutions. The point-to-multipoint radio technology will be used in small- and medium-sized enterprise networks and in mobile networks, providing a more economical transmission means than point-to-point connections in densely populated areas.
Hughes Network Systems Inc. (HNS), has entered into a cooperative agreement with AT&T Wireless Services (AWS) that will allow HNS-delivered digital time-division multiple access (TDMA)/IS-136 wireless systems offering service and feature sets consistent with the look and feel of AT&T digital personal communications services (Digital PCS) to be marketed as such. Under the terms of the agreement, AWS will supply HNS with updated technical information on both existing and newly developed and deployed AWS services and features. HNS will use this information to develop TDMA/wireless intelligent networks features and enhancements for deployment with its GMH 2000 series TDMA system.
A version of ANADIGICS' model AWT0908 900 MHz Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) single-supply power amplifier IC is currently in full-scale production and is being used in Ericsson's recently announced model GF 788 GSM telephones. Designed to fit in the palm of a user's hand, the GF 788 GSM telephone is reportedly the smallest, most sophisticated GSM mobile telephone on the market, delivering three hours of talk time and 60 hours of standby time.
Sematron UK Ltd., Basingstoke, Hants, UK, has reached an agreement with Belgian satellite communication system and equipment supplier Newtec CY to promote and support its products in the UK, including the model IDR TX2038 34 Mbps modulator, which can be used in both hub and portable satellite earth stations.
Space Electronics Inc. has signed an exclusive agreement with Cirrus Logic Inc. and its Crystal Semiconductor Products Division to assume responsibility for the manufacture, sale and distribution of Crystal's military specification ICs. According to the terms of the agreement, Crystal will continue to produce the die for Space Electronics, who will assume responsibility for package design, assembly, screening, qualification and final delivery.
Jensen Tools, a subsidiary of The Stanley Works located in Phoenix, AZ, has been selected to distribute certain Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) electronic test equipment. The HP product line includes oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, mixed-signal test instruments, digital multimeters, function generators, counters and power supplies.
Palomar Products Inc.'s Assembly and Test Products Group, Carlsbad, CA, has announced that electronics manufacturing product designer ESI, Portland, OR, will be the sole distributor of Palomar's welding and reflow-soldering product line throughout Europe.
High power flange-mounted resistor, termination and attenuator manufacturer Barry Industries Inc., Attleboro, MA, has recently doubled its manufacturing capacity. The change was made to better service the company's customers.
The Electronic Industries Association (EIA) has made available a number of semiconductor component standards for downloading free of charge via its Web site at http://www.eia.org/jedec/. This action was initiated by the Joint Electron Device Engineering Council, an EIA governing body for semiconductor device standardization, to promote greater use of these standards.
Lark Engineering Co., San Juan Capistrano, CA, has received ISO 9000 certification. The company's manufacturing center in Tijuana, Mexico has received ISO 9001 certification for its quality assurance in design, development, production, installation and servicing functions.
Noise Com has been ranked 12th on Business Week's list of "Top 100 Hot Growth Companies" (May 26, 1997 issue). The company was ranked 22nd in 1996.
Brush Wellman's Ceramic Products division has received the 1997 Strategic Supplier Award from Communications & Power Industries (CPI) based on its track record of eight consecutive months of 100 percent on-time delivery and 100 percent quality with CPI. All future shipments from Brush Wellman to CPI will be considered dock to stock and won't require incoming inspection.
MicroSim Corp. has been awarded the Innovation Award for technology by the American Electronics Association. The company's MicroSim DesignLab, the first integrated start-to-finish electronic design automation software system for mixed analog/digital circuits, was spotlighted among the products and services of 28 technology company finalists located in Orange County, CA.
The Semiconductor Division of Mitsubishi Electric has named European Microwave its distributor of the year following significant sales growth for Mitsubishi GaAs high frequency devices.
FINANCIAL NEWS
Tracor Inc. reports sales of $312.7 M for the second quarter, ended June 30, compared to $267.4 M for the second quarter last year. Net income was $10.5 M (39¢/
share), compared to $8 M (34¢/share) for the second quarter last year.
Andrew Corp. reports sales of $208.9 M for the third quarter, ended June 30, compared to $190 M for the same period last year. Net income was $7.7 M (8¢/share), compared to $24 M (26¢/share) for the same period last year.
Linear Technology Corp. reports sales of $379.3 M for the year, ended June 29, compared to $377.8 M last year. Net income was $134.4 M ($1.71/share), compared to $134 M ($1.72/share) last year. Fourth-quarter sales were $104.1 M, compared to $90 M for the same period last year.
DuPont Photomasks Inc. reports sales of $261.2 M for the year, ended June 30, compared to $213.4 M last year. Net income was $59 M ($3.79/share), including an extraordinary gain from sales of a corporate investment in Etec Systems Inc., compared to a net income of $26.9 M ($1.65/share) last year. Fourth-quarter sales were $69.9 M, compared to $61.2 M for the same period last year.
Aydin Corp. reports sales of $32.3 M for the second quarter, ended June 28, compared to $26.7 M for the same period last year. Net income was $260 K (5¢/share), compared to a net loss of $7 M ($1.37/share) for the same period last year.
Semiconductor Packaging Materials Company Inc. reports sales of $11 M for the second quarter, ended June 30, compared to $8.3 M for the same period last year. Net income was $864 K (14¢/share), compared to $1.3 M (21¢/share) for the same period last year.
Boonton Electronics Corp. has experienced an increase in sales, orders and income for the first six months of 1997. Sales for this period increased by 13 percent over 1996 sales. In related news, president and CEO Yves Guyomar has announced the company's new business plan, which will place greater emphasis on research and development in core businesses.
General Microwave Corp. reports sales of $5 M for the first quarter, ended May 31, compared to $4.3 M for the same period last year. Net income was $168 K (14¢/share), compared to $55 K (4¢/share) for the first quarter last year.
Kopin Corp. reports sales of $4.3 M for the second quarter, ended June 28, compared to $4.7 M for the second quarter last year. Net loss was $1.7 M (15¢/share), compared to a net loss of $3.9 M (36¢/share) for the second quarter last year.
Raytheon Co., Lexington, MA, was scheduled to offer $2.5 B of debt off its shelf registration statement during the first week of August. Proceeds from the offering will be used to refinance Raytheon's recent acquisition of the defense systems and electronics business of Texas Instruments Inc.
Corsair Communications Inc., Palo Alto, CA, has announced an initial public offering of 2,500,000 shares of common stock priced at $15 per share, with all shares offered by the company. In addition, Corsair has granted the underwriters an option to purchase an additional 375,000 shares of common stock to cover any overallotments.
After reviewing its strategy for growth and relationship to its cash dividend policy, Merrimac Industries Inc.'s board of directors has decided to reinvest all future earnings in the company. In related news, the company had declared a cash dividend of 10¢ per share that would be payable to stockholders of record on September 5.
CONTRACTS
Savi Technology Inc., Mountain View, CA, a wholly owned subsidiary of Raytheon TI Systems, has been awarded a $111 M contract by the Department of Defense to supply RF identification (RFID) equipment, software and services to the US military. Under the terms of the contract, reportedly the largest single investment ever made in RFID technology, Savi will provide automated RF tags to enable the military service to accurately locate, monitor and track the status of goods and supplies in real time anywhere in the world. Assuming all contract options are exercised, the total contract life will be five years.
Microwave Power Devices Inc., Hauppauge, NY, has received a contract valued at $13.5 M to produce and supply high power, multichannel amplifier modules for use in an in-flight satellite communications system. Full-scale amplifier module production is scheduled to commence in 1998.
Sanders, a Lockheed Martin company, has received a $12 M contract from the US Navy for the design, development and production of advanced common electronic modules that will reduce equipment life cycle costs aboard ships and aircraft. Delivery of three prototype systems and flight testing aboard an SH-60 helicopter are expected to be completed by September 2001. All work will be performed in Sanders' Nashua, NH facility.
Hughes Network Systems Inc. (HNS) has been awarded a contract valued at $10 M to provide Spain's first very small aperture terminal (VSAT)-based lottery network. HNS will deliver its integrated satellite business network, which comprises Ku-band earth stations, fully redundant satellite and baseband equipment, and a state-of-the-art network management platform. The network was scheduled to be operational in September when 2400 VSATs were expected to be commissioned and in service.
Harris Corp., Melbourne, FL, has been awarded a contract for the Falcon II VHF radio by a Middle Eastern ministry of national defense. The radios, which were purchased from Harris' RF Communications Division, are expected to be delivered in early 1998. The $2.5 M order is the latest in a long line of radio deliveries from Harris to the region.
MAXTECH Inc., a wholly owned Vertex Communications Corp. subsidiary headquartered in State College, PA, has signed a multimillion-dollar contract with AT&T Corp. for high powered solid-state power amplifiers (SSPA). The SSPAs are designed to replace high power vacuum tube amplifiers and will reduce site operational costs significantly as well as improve overall system reliability. MAXTECH is scheduled to deliver the units to AT&T over the next six months.
Powerwave Technologies Inc., Irvine, CA, has received an order from QUALCOMM Inc. to develop a 25 W single-carrier PCS amplifier for use in QUALCOMM's prototype testing of code-division multiple access PCS base stations. It is anticipated that these base stations will be utilized eventually to provide network coverage for PCS network operators.
PERSONNEL
The board of directors of Microwave dB Inc. has elected Lee Leong president and CEO. Previously, Leong served as the transition manager for Charter Technologies.
Aetrium Inc. has appointed Kenneth R. Lee president of the company's Lawrence, MA division. Formerly, Lee was a contract manager of the Lawrence division as a principal of Marlboro Associates, a consulting firm that was retained by Aetrium in 1996.
William J. Kaska has been named group VP of CTS Corp. Since 1992, Kaska has served as VP and GM of the company's automotive electronic position sensor and actuator manufacturing facilities.
Narda Microwave-East has named John Mega president as well as group president and a corporate officer of L-3 Communications. Previously, Mega was VP, finance for
Lockheed Martin Tactical Defense Systems. In addition, Anthony Rao has been promoted from cellular sales manager to national sales manager at Narda Microwave-East. He will be responsible for all sales activities in North America.
American Microsystems Inc. (AMI) has made several new personnel appointments, including Tom Schiers as VP, strategic account development; Brian Harris as VP, North American sales; John Stoner as director of technology planning; and Joe Braxel as director of strategic marketing. Schiers joined AMI in 1972 and has held various management positions at the company, Harris spent five years at VLSI in a number of marketing and sales management positions, Stoner has spent 17 years with AMI in several research and development management positions and Braxel was European sales and product manager at Symbios Logic Inc.
Ortel Corp. has appointed George B. Holmes VP, broadband sales. Prior to this appointment, Holmes was VP, worldwide sales at Level One Communications Inc.
Northrop Grumman's Electronic Sensors and Systems Division (ESSD) has appointed D. Wayne Snodgrass VP of the company's Norden Systems unit. Francis K.
Holian will succeed Snodgrass as VP, Antisubmarine Warfare and Ship Systems. Most recently, Holian served as director of business Strategy and Operations at ESSD's Oceanic Systems unit.
Champion Technologies Inc. has made a number of key management appointments, including Wayne Fujiwara as VP, business development; Joe Doyle as VP, engineering and quality; and Tom Zegiel as VP, manufacturing. Formerly, Fujiwara was VP, engineering and Doyle was VP, manufacturing operations and quality. Zegiel will take on new responsibilities while maintaining his current position as head of materials and logistics.
Harris Corp.'s RF Communications Division has named Gary Cincotta VP, manufacturing operations. Most recently, Cincotta was VP, operations at Augat Inc., a division of Thomas & Betts.
RF Power Components Inc. has named Walter Koprowski operations manager for the newly formed Coupler Components Division. Koprowski is co-founder and former VP, operations and engineering of Power Systems Technology, Melville, NY.
TriQuint Semiconductor has appointed George Sanders to assume responsibility for Asian-Pacific sales. Previously, Sanders was product marketing manager in the company's Telecommunications and Computing Division.
Jack Rosiello has joined Micro-Precision Technologies Inc, Salem, NH, as national sales manager. Rosiello brings over 25 years of industry experience to the company.
Trompeter Electronics Inc. has named Dale Reed VP, marketing. Most recently, Reed was GM at Soladyne, a Merix company.
Tom Gavula has been appointed director of sales for the Americas at BI Technologies Corp. Gavula joined the company in 1994 as eastern area sales manager.
Loren G. Pleet has been appointed to the newly created position of sales and marketing manager for ELNA America Inc. Most recently, Pleet was sales manager of Kenwood Communications Corp.'s Amateur Radio Products Group.
Brian Walaszczyk has been named central regional manager and Brian Crannell has been named marketing engineer for the Electronics Division of Littelfuse
Inc. Previously, Walaszczyk held positions as marketing engineer and applications engineer at the company; Crannell was a design engineer and product manager at Marvel.
REP APPOINTMENTS
Chesapeake Microwave Technologies Inc., Glen Rock, PA, has appointed M. Lader Company, headquartered in Pennsylvania, to represent its power amplifier products in the southeastern territories.
RF and microwave component manufacturer Microwave Devices Inc., Franklin, IN, has made two new rep appointments including Martin Technology Group, Manassas, VA, to cover Virginia, North and South Carolina, and Washington, DC; and Peninsula Technical Sales, Mountain View, CA, to cover northern California and northern Nevada.
Narda Microwave-East, Hauppauge, NY, has appointed Argent Consulting Services Inc., Houston, TX, to represent its complete line of RF safety products in the US and Canada to all two-way communication shops, state and local governments, and broadcasters.
Weinschel, Bruno Associates, Gaithersburg, MD, has appointed Electronic Instrument Associates-Central Inc., Jackson, WI, to represent its products in Wisconsin and CTL Components Plc, London, UK, to represent its products in Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovetia and Yugoslavia.
NEW MARKET ENTRIES
Christensen Smith Tran is a new company formed to provide electromechanical solutions. The operation's address is PO Box 20749, Sun Valley, NV 89433-0749 telephone/fax (702) 677-9564. Cheryl Christensen serves as president, and Lance Smith and Tony Tran are vice presidents.
Wireless Inc. is a new company founded by a team of Silicon Valley-based engineers and entrepreneurs to develop, manufacture and market advanced wireless access products for telecommunications requirements. The company will be headed by William E. Gibson, founder and former president/CEO of Digital Microwave Corp., and is located at 3285 Scott Blvd., Santa Clara, CA 95054 (408) 235-8885, fax (408) 235-8887.
NEW WEB SITES
RF engineering and network implementation service and product provider LCC International Inc., McLean, VA, has teamed with Microwave Online Services Co., Boulder, CO, to open the on-line Cellular Institute to students on the World Wide Web. The Cellular Institute was founded in response to a growing industry shortage of qualified engineering and executive wireless telecommunications personnel. The site will provide course work in RF engineering and wireless tools and may be accessed at http://www.rfglobalnet.com.
Piezo Technology Inc. has developed a Web site featuring full descriptions and specifications for the company's oscillator, filter and quartz crystal resonator products. Application notes, design guidelines, technical publications, addresses of domestic and international manufacturers' representatives, and employment opportunities are also available through the site at http://www.piezotech.com.