Marion E. Hines, a pioneer in microwave semiconductors and one of the "Grand Old Men" of the industry, died on August 25. He was 82 years old.
Marion was born in Bellingham, WA and received his BS and MS degrees in electrical engineering from the California Institute of Technology. After serving in the US Army Air Force during World War II, he was employed on the technical staff at Bell Laboratories until 1960, when he joined Microwave Associates Inc. (now M/A-COM). He was still employed as a consultant to M/A-COM when he passed away.
Marion was a prolific contributor. He published more than 50 technical papers and was awarded more than 40 patents. He published landmark papers on semiconductor theory and circuits, ferrite devices, time domain theory and analysis, mixer theory and many practical circuit designs and devices. He was a Life Fellow of the IEEE and winner of the IEEE Lamme Medal, as well as the Electron Devices Society J.J. Ebers Medal, the IEEE Centennial Medal and the Microwave Theory and Techniques Society Microwave Career Award. He won the MTT-S Microwave Prize for best paper of the year in 1972 and again in 1978. He is the only person to win it twice.
I am fortunate to have worked with Marion for 23 years. Over that time, he continually amazed me with his intellectual curiosity, inventiveness and creativity. He was responsible for many of the developments and products that made the company successful, from sophisticated semiconductors to practical, low cost designs for police radar detectors. During all of this, he was a patient mentor to many of us. Above all, he was a wonderful gentleman. He is already missed.
Harlan Howe, Jr.
INDUSTRY NEWS
* Anaren Microwave Inc., Syracuse, NY, has acquired substantially all of the assets of Ocean Microwave Corp., a privately held New Jersey-based manufacturer of ferrite isolators and circulators. Anaren will operate the Ocean Microwave business through its newly formed subsidiary, Anaren Power Products Inc. The acquisition will be accounted for as a purchase acquisition.
* VoiceStream Wireless Corp. has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Powertel Inc. The transaction will substantially expand VoiceStream's all-digital GSM wireless coverage in the southeastern US.
* The Laird Group Plc (parent of APM Inc.) has announced plans to acquire Instrument Specialties Co. Inc. for $257 M plus debt. The acquisition was conditional on Laird Group shareholders' approval at a meeting scheduled for August 25.
* Frequency Electronics Inc. (FEI), Mitchel Field, NY, has signed a definitive agreement to purchase Gilliam S.A., a privately held Belgian company that develops and manufactures wireline telecom synchronization, network monitoring and power supply products. FEI will pay approximately $8.5 M in cash and 200,000 shares of FEI stock for the stock of Gilliam. The transaction was expected to close by the end of September.
* Illinois Superconductor Corp. (ISC) has consummated its acquisition of Spectral Solutions Inc., pursuant to a merger agreement executed and announced in May. Richard Herring, CEO of Spectral Solutions before the merger, has been added to ISC's board of directors.
* Spirent Communications, Eatontown, NJ, has acquired InfoSOFT Technologies Inc., Ft. Worth, TX. With the acquisition, Spirent now offers a full range of wireless test and deployment solutions that enable CDMA handset manufacturers and network operators to quickly develop and roll-out next-generation products and services.
* Alamosa PCS Holdings Inc. has signed definitive agreements to merge Sprint PCS affiliates Roberts Wireless Communications LLC and Washington Oregon Wireless LLC into its operations. The combined transactions will result in a new entity named Alamosa Holdings Inc. and are expected to close by December 31.
* SandCraft Inc. has changed the company's business model to manufacture, market and distribute products for the high performance needs demanded by the communications, consumer and office automation markets. The company's ultra-high performance MIPS-compatible central processing units will be manufactured and marketed under the SandCraft brand name. Previously, SandCraft licensed intellectual property and designs.
* TEMIC Semiconductors has changed its name to Atmel Wireless & Microcontrollers to emphasize the name of its European shareholder. Along with the new name, the company has introduced a new logo.
* Stratos Lightwave Inc. has acquired additional manufacturing space adjacent to its Chicago headquarters. The 60,000-square-foot building will be used to increase the space dedicated to manufacturing gigabit-speed optical transceivers and fiber-optic products.
* RF and microwave filter designer and manufacturer K&L Microwave Inc., a division of Dover Corp., has expanded its manufacturing facilities to include a new building that will make available 64,000 square feet of additional space.
* Superconducting RF product supplier Illinois Superconductor Corp. will open a new office in Japan. The office will be headed by Derek Schneideman, former president and representative director of Gateway Japan KK.
* Space Electronics Inc. (SEi) has completed its acquisition of Shason Microwave Corp.'s Instruments Group. The addition provides SEi with the ability to offer RF/microwave components and modules for satellite applications. The acquisition also includes a unique product line of automated test equipment.
* Unitek Miyachi Corp. has formed Unitek Miyachi International Ltd. (UMI), a corporate holding company that will oversee and coordinate strategy and business planning, global product and marketing integration, next-generation technology and product development, corporate finance and administration, and future acquisitions for all of its business units. In related news, Unitek Miyachi has formed a new multinational accounts group, which was necessitated by the company's rapidly expanding international sales growth and the need for dedicated focus on the management of key global accounts.
* Advanced RF technology developer Silicon Wave Inc., San Diego, CA, has formed an advisory board of wireless communications experts to consult with the company's executive management team on such matters as business strategy, technical trends and regulatory developments.
* Bartley RF Systems Inc., Amesbury, MA, has created a new corporate logo to reflect its growth and current position in the wireless network equipment marketplace. The new identity coincides with the company's move to a 78,000-square-foot facility, which houses more than 250 employees, up from its original nine in 1995.
* Motorola Inc. has moved its largest volume assembly and test manufacturing facility for high power RF products from Seremban, Malaysia to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The move provides growth opportunities for manufacturing RF power devices that are required to continue to meet the needs of customers and the wireless market.
* IFR Systems Inc. has signed major distribution agreements with LeCroy Corp., Geneva, Switzerland, for distribution of test products in Europe. Under the partnership, IFR will be the exclusive distributor for LeCroy's test and measurement products in Spain and Portugal, while LeCroy will become a key distributor for IFR's test and measurement products in Italy.
* Richardson Electronics Ltd. has signed a worldwide distribution agreement with ANADIGICS Inc. Under the terms of the agreement, Richardson will become ANADIGICS' first distribution channel to market and sell the company's wireless, fiber, and cable and broadcast RFIC product lines.
* E*TRADE Group Inc. has formed an alliance with Sprint PCS to provide clear, mobile access to E*TRADE's wireless trading capabilities and applications via Internet-ready Sprint PCS phones and the Sprint PCS Wireless Web.
* RF Micro Devices Inc., Greensboro, NC, has collaborated with Atmel Corp., San Jose, CA, to produce reference designs based on the IEEE802.11b 11 Mbps wireless local area network standard. Together, the companies are providing complete reference designs to qualified customers, including schematics, layout files and bills of materials.
* Rogers Corp. has captured more than 90 percent of the market in Taiwan for high frequency circuit materials used in the manufacture of Ku-band low noise block downconverters (LNB) in direct satellite TV systems. Taiwan has eight major LNB manufacturers who supply a significant portion of the LNBs needed worldwide.
* SSB Technologies Inc.'s Stealth Microwave division has received ISO 9001:1994 certification for the design, development and manufacture of microwave amplifiers for the wireless communications industry.
* Universal Voltronics Corp., Mt. Kisco, NY, has achieved full ISO 9001 certification.
* According to the recently published "Broadband-to-the Home Services, Equipment and Components Market Forecast," residential broadband services revenue will reach $175 B in 2009. The revenue obtained from providing all types of residential broadband services to North America will grow from $48.1 B to $174.8 B during the same period. This increase is in addition to narrowband residential communications services revenue, which is expected to advance from $52.4 B to $130 B during the forecast period.
* ANADIGICS Inc., Warren, NJ, has shipped more than 100 million broadband RFICs for cable systems and fiber-optic networks. The increased development of fiber-optic infrastructure to support rising demand for Internet bandwidth as well as emerging two-way digital cable services have resulted in a strong demand for broadband solutions.
* First Source Inc., San Jose, CA, a national distributor of RF, microwave, wireless, cellular and millimeter-wave components, celebrated its fifteenth year in business at the company's annual sales meeting.
FINANCIAL NEWS
* Molex Inc. reports record sales of $614.6 M for the fourth quarter, ended June 30, compared to $445.9 M for the same period last year. Net income was $65 M (33¢/share), compared to $50 M (26¢/share) for the fourth quarter of 1999.
* Andrew Corp. reports record sales of $259.2 M for the third quarter, ended June 30, compared to $186.1 M for the same period last year. Net income was $20.9 M (26¢/diluted share), compared to $14.7 M (18¢/diluted share) for the third quarter of 1999.
* REMEC Inc. reports sales of $63 M for the second quarter, ended July 28, compared to $47.3 M for the same period last year. Net income was $3.2 M (7¢/diluted share), compared to a net loss of $2.8 M (7 ¢/diluted share) for the second quarter of 1999.
* ANADIGICS Inc. reports record sales of $47.5 M for the second quarter, ended July 2, compared to $30.5 M for the same period last year. Net income was $6.6 M (21¢/diluted share), compared to $2 M (8¢/diluted share) for the second quarter of 1999.
* Cree Inc. reports record sales of $33.4 M for the fourth quarter, ended June 25, compared to $18.3 M for the same period last year. Net income was $11.4 M (30¢/diluted share), compared to $4 M (12¢/diluted share) for the fourth quarter of 1999.
* Norsat International Inc. reports sales of $27.5 M for the second quarter, ended June 30, compared to $13.5 M for the same period last year. Net loss was $5.3 M (21¢/share), compared to a net loss of $493 K (2¢/share) for the second quarter of 1999.
* Robinson Nugent Inc. reports sales of $25.1 M for the fourth quarter, ended June 30, compared to $18.9 M for the same period last year. Net income was $1.7 M (32¢/share), compared to $1.2 M (24¢/share) for the fourth quarter of 1999.
* Alamosa PCS Holdings Inc. reports sales of $17.2 M for the second quarter, ended June 30, compared to $35.1 K for the same period last year. Net loss was $12.9 M (21¢/share), compared to a net loss of $4 M (8¢/share) for the second quarter of 1999.
* SEMX Corp. reports sales of $12.67 M for the second quarter, ended June 30, compared to $11.8 M for the same period last year. Net income was $609 K (8¢/diluted share), compared to $991 K (16¢/diluted share) for the second quarter of 1999.
* Ansoft Corp. reports sales of $8.7 M for the first quarter, ended July 31, compared $6.9 M for the same period last year. Net income was $202 K (2¢/diluted share), compared to a net loss of $311 K (3¢/diluted share) for the second quarter of 1999.
* Merrimac Industries Inc. reports sales of $5 M for the second quarter, ended July 31, compared $5.1 M for the same period last year. Net income was $40 K (2¢/diluted share), compared $82 K (5¢/diluted share) for the second quarter of 1999.
* RF Micro Devices Inc. intended to offer, subject to market and other conditions, $250 M of convertible subordinated notes due 2005 (plus an additional amount of up to $50 M at the option of the purchasers) in a private placement. The notes will be convertible into the company's common stock at the option of the holder, at a price to be determined. The offering was expected to close in August.
* Silicon Wave Inc. has completed its fourth round of financing with nearly $52 M infused into the company. The round includes new investments from 3Com Ventures, Access Technology, Alps Electric Co. Ltd., GTG Ventures, Intersil Corp., JMG Triton, Nexus Capital Partners, Sands Brothers Venture Capital, Senvest International and SIDUS, and allows Silicon Wave to continue its innovations, including highly integrated chips, systems and software for Bluetooth wireless technology.
* MediaQ Inc. has completed its third round of venture capital financing, securing $23.4 M. New investors include Weston Presidio Capital, El Dorado Ventures, Infineon Technologies, Summit Accelerator Fund and ViVentures. MeidaQ intends to use the capital to fund the development of ICs for Web terminals/pads, hand-held personal digital assistants, communicators and smart phones.
CONTRACTS
* Raytheon Co., Lexington, MA, has been awarded a contract valued in excess of $1.4 B by Lockheed Martin Co. to design, develop and manufacture three engineering and manufacturing development radars for the Theater High Altitude Defense System. The contract also includes the hardware design, development and manufacture of six battle management/command control, communications and information tactical/shelters groups and related engineering support.
* Cree Inc., Durham, NC, has received contracts from several Asian and European customers totaling $70 M for shipments through September 2001. Included in these contracts is a one-year purchase agreement with Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH and Co. for standard brightness, high brightness and small chip silicon carbide light-emitting diodes and wafer products. The Osram agreement is the largest product contract signed in the history of the company.
* Andrew Corp., Orland Park, IL, has received an initial $3 M order as part of a $23 M letter of agreement for the development and supply of single-channel PCS-TDMA linear power amplifiers to Lucent Technologies Inc. Andrew was expected to deliver the first consignment of prototype amplifiers to Lucent in September and will move into full production at the beginning of 2001.
PERSONNEL
* Applied Epi Inc. has named Brett D. Heffes chief financial officer. Most recently, Heffes was VP of corporate development and treasurer for Department 56 Inc.
* Silicon Wave Inc. has elected Bruce Edwards and Dave Rickey to its board of directors. Edwards currently serves as president and CEO and is a member of the board of directors at Powerwave Technologies, Irvine, CA. Rickey is currently president and CEO of Applied Micro Circuits Corp., San Diego, CA.
* Yahya Rahmat-Samii and Anand Gopinath have joined Altra Broadband Inc.'s board of technical directors. Rahmat-Samii is the chairman of UCLA's electrical engineering department; Gopinath is a professor of electrical engineering at the University of Minnesota.
* Alamosa PCS Holdings Inc. has appointed Tony Sabatino senior VP of engineering and network operations, and Loyd Rinehart senior VP of corporate finance. Previously, Sabatino was the national RF engineering director at Sprint PCS; Rinehart was chief financial officer at Affordable Residential Communications.
* Lars Jehrlander has been appointed head of business area Allgon Systems. Previously, Jehrlander was VP of the mobile communication business at Ercisson in Brazil.
* GIL Technologies has promoted Jerry Moran to the newly created position of VP, global sales and marketing. Previously, Moran was the regional sales manager for the company.
* Bernard Cahlander has been named VP and general manager of VertexRSI's Santa Clara, CA facility. Cahlander will be responsible for the overall direction of the facility's systems business.
* GHz Technology Inc. has appointed Charles Leader VP, operations. Previously, Leader held senior positions in manufacturing and engineering at Agilent Technologies and Avantec Inc.
* In preparation for its initial public offering, American Microsystems Inc. has appointed Michael C. Reilly to the newly created position of treasurer. Reilly joins the company from Anacomp Inc. and has more than 12 years of experience in treasury management.
* Lindgren RF Enclosures Inc. has named Bob Piemonte sales manager for industrial products. Piemonte, a former Lindgren employee, brings 15 years of sales and marketing experience to the company.
* Stellex Communications has appointed Bill Nicklin international sales manager. Nicklin assumes responsibility for the sales of Stellex RF and microwave components through a network of representatives and distributors in Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa.
* Marconi Applied Technologies has appointed Hal Spooner director, Satcom Operations. Previously, Spooner was the acting director of sales and marketing, regional sales manager and product marketing manager at Litton Electron Devices.
* Stanford Microdevices has appointed Norm Hilgendorf director of marketing for standard products. Prior to joining the company, Hilgendorf was VP and general manager of Richardson Electronics' solid-state division and business unit manager for wireless products.
* ITT Industries, Cannon has named Lisa G. Blais general manager of its C&K Components switch products business. Most recently, Blais was C&K's VP, sales and marketing.
* NEC Electronics Inc. has promoted Omid Milani to assistant general manager of the Displays and Energy Devices Strategic Business Unit. Previously, Milani was senior manager of the Flat Panel Displays Group at the company.
* Quad Systems Corp. has named Brent A. Fischthal APS product manager. Previously, Fischthal served as product marketing specialist for Universal Instruments Corp.
* Wyle Electronics has named Dave Hartman and Chuck Kunai division managers for the company's Minneapolis and Houston divisions, respectively. Hartman joined the company as division manager in Houston in 1999; Kunai most recently served as the company's south central region strategic business manager.
* Micro Networks Corp. has appointed John N. Gau, Jr. principal SAW design engineer. Gau joins the company from TOKO America Inc.'s SAW Filter Design Center.
* Aeroflex Laboratories has added James R. Guinaw to the marketing and sales staff for Instrument Products. Guinaw has held senior positions with Hassir Corp., Grumman Corp. and Telephonics Corp.
* BTC Electronic Components has named Kerry Hathaway account executive in its Apopka, FL sales office. Previously, Hathaway was with PCD as an inside sales manager.
NEW MARKET ENTRY
* Universal Microwave Corp. (UMC) is a new company formed to design and manufacture high performance VCOs, ceramic resonator oscillators and synthesizers for the wireless market. UMC is located at 2339 Destiny Way, Odessa, FL 33556 (877) 375-9332, fax (727) 376-7271.
REP APPOINTMENTS
* Sprague-Goodman Electronics Inc., Westbury, NY, has appointed Soquelec Telecommunications, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, to represent its products in Quebec, Ontario and the Maritime Provinces. In addition, the company added Diamond Advanced Components, Norcross, GA, and Integra Electronics, Orange, CA, to its franchised distributor network.
* Universal Microwave Corp. has named three firms to represent its VCOs and synthesizers in the US. dBm Technical Sales will cover New England, Youngewirth & Olenick will cover Arizona and New Mexico, and Trionic Associates will cover Long Island, New York City and New Jersey.
* mmWave Technologies Inc., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, has signed a vendor contract with Karl Suss America, adding to its communication test and measurement line card.
* Coleman Microwave Co., Edinburg, VA, has made several new rep appointments, including Applied Technical Sales and Marketing, San Juan Capistrano, CA, to cover Southern California; E. Reid Miller Corp., Saratoga, CA, to cover Northern California; and Lear Associates, Richardson, TX, to cover Texas and Oklahoma.
WEB SITE
* Murata Electronics North America has made available a free EMI filter selection simulator on its Web site at www.murata.com. The noise suppression-measuring service aids design engineers in the process of selecting EMI filters by replicating the conditions of their circuit to evaluate the performance of various filters.