INDUSTRY NEWS
Endwave Corp. has acquired certain wireless infrastructure assets of Signal Technology Corp.'s Wireless Group. The acquisition includes customer contracts, equipment, inventory, product designs and other intellectual property, and key personnel needed for the ongoing operation of the business unit. The purchase is expected to enhance Endwave's focus on the commercial wireless infrastructure market.
Sirenza Microdevices has completed the acquisition of Xemod , a designer and supplier of RF amplifier modules for the wireless communication market. Xemod technology extends Sirenza's power component product line to significantly higher power levels and operating voltages for wireless network equipment applications.
M-tron Industries Inc. has reached an agreement in principle to acquire the assets of Champion Technologies Inc. , a manufacturer of crystals and crystal oscillators, from US Bank. The financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.
Superconductor Technologies Inc. and Conductus Inc. have signed a definitive agreement to merge the two companies. The new company will retain the Superconductor Technologies name, and will combine the talent, technologies and assets of the two companies. In addition the companies have secured firm commitments through existing shareholders and affiliated entities for a $15 M investment through a private placement in the combined company, contingent upon the close of the merger.
Yokogawa Corp. of America has acquired all of the outstanding shares of stock of Measurementation Inc. from its affiliated holding company, Yokogawa USA Inc. The Yokogawa Group began a relationship with Measurementation in 1997 by purchasing an interest in the analytical systems integrator. Measurementation will operate as a separate division of Yokogawa Corp. of America.
Amphenol Corp.'s Industrial Operations Division has completed the acquisition of the RADSOK® business unit of K&K Stamping . RADSOK technology allows higher amperages to be used in electrical connectors with lower insertion forces, which helps to alleviate millivolt drop and associated temperature rise.
Sensors Unlimited will purchase certain assets and accept certain liabilities from Finisar Corp. 's Sensors Unlimited subsidiary for $6.1 M in cash. The new company will assume the name Sensors Unlimited and the existing management team and employees will remain in place.
Anaren Microwave has opened an all-new facility in the Suzhou Industrial Park in Suzhou, China, near Shanghai. Called Anaren Communciations Suzhou Co. Ltd. , the operation will be staffed by both local talent and personnel relocating from the company's headquarters in East Syracuse, NY. In related news, the company's recently acquired Almelo, Netherlands-based subsidiary Anaren Europe BV (formerly 5m Co.) has returned to full-scale operation following a fire in July of 2001. The completely renovated plant features nearly $8 M in leading-edge circuit board production equipment.
Mimix Broadband Inc. has relocated its corporate headquarters to a new facility in Houston, TX, where it will continue to operate an ISO 9001 certified manufacturing, assembly, test and management facility. The 15,000-square foot facility includes a newly constructed Clean Room used for wafer probe testing of MMICs, die attaching and wire bonding.
K&L Microwave Inc. , a subsidiary of the Dover Corp. , has opened a production facility in Nanjing, China. The facility is located in the Nanjing Economic & Technological Development Zone, one of China's major high technology industrial parks. The location allows for rapid movement of products to all parts of China.
Lamina Ceramics has opened a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Westampton, NJ, to increase production of components, modules, circuit boards and packages utilizing the company's proprietary LTCC-M technology. The 50,000-square foot facility will initially include two production lines.
Chipcon Group AS has opened a fully-owned subsidiary, Chipcon Inc. , in Cupertino, CA. The primary goal of Chipcon Inc. is to expand the presence of the Chipcon Group in the US and to intensify the sales and marketing of Chipcon products in North America.
RF Micro Devices Inc. and Jazz Semiconductor have agreed to enter into a strategic relationship for silicon manufacturing and development. Under the agreement, RF Micro Devices will obtain a guaranteed, lower cost source of supply for wafers fabricated utilizing Jazz Semiconductor's manufacturing processes, including SiGe, BiCMOS and RF CMOS. In related news, RF Micro Devices has begun high volume production shipments of two power amplifiers and a triple-band LNA/mixer to Sanyo for use in the new Sanyo SCP-4900 CDMA 2000 1X handset. Shipments began in the June quarter and have reached a multi-million dollar level.
Dow-Key Microwave , a subsidiary of the Dover Corp. , has entered into a strategic marketing and distribution alliance with Teravicta Technologies to offer Teravicta's RF MEMS switches worldwide.
Xanoptix and Tyco Electronics announced a multi-year, multi-million dollar joint strategic business agreement to promote Xanoptix's XTM Series of optical transceiver products. The alliance enables the companies to provide the next generation of parallel optics transceiver modules, utilizing optically integrated circuit technology with fused silicon chips and high performance active optics.
Spectrum Control and Littelfuse Inc. have entered into a teaming agreement. This agreement will create a synergism of the two organizations in the development of a series of integrated passive electromechanical solutions.
Anritsu Co. has formed a partnership with Centro de Tecnologia de las Comunicaciones SA that creates a complete Bluetooth test solution incorporating Anritsu's model ME7865A Bluetooth pre-qualification test system and a discounted qualification process through CETECOM , a Bluetooth Qualification Test Facility. In related news, Anritsu's model ME7808A broadband vector network analyzer (VNA) has earned two marketing engineering awards from Frost & Sullivan. The awards recognized the product as the year's most innovative test instrument overall as well as the top VNA, according to independent analysts who conducted extensive evaluations and research on leading measurement instruments.
Advanced Analogic Technologies Inc. (AnalogicTech) has entered into a distribution agreement with Future Electronics . Under terms of the new agreement, Future Electronics will sell and support AnalogicTech's entire Total Power Management product line, including its PowerManager,™ PowerLinear™ and SmartSwitch™ product families.
Ansoft Corp. has formed an educational partnership with Carnegie Mellon University's Center for Wireless and Broadband Networking by donating advanced software for the virtual design of high frequency technology. The in-kind contribution, which begins a three-year partnership between the two, includes an initial donation of Ansoft's HFSS™ and Ansoft Designer™ packages as well as support. In related news, Ansoft launched a campaign to expand the use of its electromagnetic and electrostatic simulation software by offering a free subset of the company's commercially available Maxwell 2D. The software, marketed at Maxwell SV, can be downloaded at www.ansoft.com/maxwellsv.
Texas Instruments Inc. (TI) has been appointed to the board of directors of the Wi-Fi Alliance as the organization's latest sponsor member helping to promote and expand the global Wi-Fi market. TI has been a contributing general member of the Wi-Fi Alliance since its acquisition of Alantro Communications in September 2000.
The microwave antenna products formerly produced by TriPoint Global Communications' Mark Antenna business will be manufactured under the Prodelin brand. The company will discontinue the use of the Mark Antenna name and brand.
AMI Semiconductor announced that its operation in Belgium achieved ISO/TS 16949 certification. ISO/TS 16949, coupled with customer-specific requirements, defines quality system requirements for use in the automotive supply chain.
Sprague-Goodman Electronics Inc. recently commemorated its 30th anniversary with a celebration ceremony at the company's Westbury, NY, headquarters.
Cole Tubes Ltd. is offering to help customers of the precision drawn products manufacturer H Rollet and subsidiary Blackheath Tube , which went into receivership on September 5, 2002.
FINANCIAL NEWS
Linear Technology Corp. reports sales of $142.01 M for the first quarter ended September 29, 2002, compared to $120.10 M for the same period in FY 2002. Net income was $53.8 M (17¢/diluted share), compared to $45.2 M (14¢/diluted share) for the first quarter of last fiscal year.
RF Micro Devices Inc. reports sales of $119.7 M for the second quarter ended September 30, 2002, compared to $98.3 M for the same period in 2001. Net income was $6.5 M (4¢/diluted share), compared to $1.5 M (1¢/diluted share) for the second quarter of last year.
TESSCO Technologies Inc. reports sales of $70.4 M for the second quarter ended September 29, 2002, compared to $62.0 M for the same period in 2001. Net income was $1.2 M (26¢/diluted share), compared to $900 K (20¢/diluted share) for the second quarter of last year.
REMEC Inc. reports sales of $53.5 M for the second quarter ended August 3, 2002, compared to $60.4 M for the same period in 2001. Net loss was $16 M (35¢/diluted share), compared to a net loss of $15.4 M (34¢/diluted share) for the second quarter of last year.
Stratex Networks Inc. reports sales of $52.6 M for the second quarter ended September 30, 2002, compared to $60.9 M for the same period in FY 2002. Net loss was $4.4 M (5¢/share), compared to $56.5 M (72¢/share) for the second quarter of last fiscal year.
Cree Inc. reports sales of $48.8 M for the first quarter ended September 29, 2002, compared to $43.2 M for the same period in FY 2002. Net income was $3.9 M (5¢/share), compared to $6.5 M (9¢/share) for the first quarter of last fiscal year.
CONTRACTS
Harry Cunningham and Jim Zanello have accepted consulting contracts with Thunderline-Z. After selling the co-owned Thunderline-Z business to the Fusite Division of Emerson in 2000, Cunningham and Zanello will be working in consultative VP of sales and engineering roles. The two started Thunderline-Z in 1984. Terms and financial details of the contracts were not disclosed.
Boonton Electronics , a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wireless Telecom Group Inc. , has been awarded an additional contract with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for Boonton's 4530 series RF peak power meter, supporting the FAA's latest projects on air traffic control. The power meter is utilized by the FAA for its newest beacon system, ATCBI-6, for transponder queries in airplanes.
Nurad Technologies has been awarded a contract by Lockheed Martin to provide antennas and radomes for the Peace Marble V F-16 program. Nurad, part of the Chelton Microwave Group, will design and develop this antenna suite, which will interface with the electronic warfare system.
PERSONNEL
Terry Nisbet joined United Monolithic Semiconductors (UMS) as chief operating officer. He will be a member of the management board of UMS and his main tasks will be to help the company adapt to the challenges of the market place, strengthen its position and to improve the support UMS gives to customers.
Modelithics Inc. has named Jerry Schappacher to its company board of directors. Shappacher brings more than 20 years of engineering and entrepreneurial experience. He is the founder and current president of J-micro Technologies.
RF Micro Devices Inc. has appointed Frederick J. Leonberger to its board of directors. Leonberger is a senior VP and chief technology officer of JDS Uniphase Corp.
StratEdge announced that Ralph Nilsson has been appointed the new president of the company's Taunton, MA, division. The Taunton Division designs and manufactures hermetic glass-to-metal seal, flatpack, plastic equivalent packages and metal packages for telecommunications. Nilsson has 20 years of experience working in engineering, manufacturing and assembly, sales and marketing, operations, and quality control for microwave products.
MEMGen Corp. has appointed Kang Sun as VP, business development. With 15 years of experience growing companies and building strategic alliances worldwide, Sun will lead the company's sales and strategic partnership efforts.
Paul Leo has joined Spectrum Control as director of new business development for the new Spectrum FSY Microwave line of products. In this position he is responsible for all sales activities and business growth related to the company's microwave product line. Prior to joining Spectrum, Leo was employed for over 17 years at K&L Microwave, most recently holding the position of director of new business development.
Analog Devices Inc. has appointed Serge Recoules as managing director of European sales and marketing. Recoules will be responsible for leading the company's European sales effort, managing an experienced team of sales people across the region.
Link Microtek has promoted Stuart Hendry to the position of sales manager. Hendry joined the company in 1996 as sales manager for the North and Midlands.
Ceramaseal has named Grant Schrag its product development engineer at the New Lebanon, NY,-based facility. Previously, Schrag worked 12 years with MDC Vacuum Products Corp. and more specifically the Insulator Seal Division.
REP APPOINTMENTS
MICRO-COAX , Pottstown, PA, has appointed Promark Electronics Inc. as its exclusive distributor for Canada. Promark will represent MICRO-COAX's full line of semi-rigid products.
Phase One Microwave Inc. , Rocklin, CA, has made a series of rep appointments. Technology Marketing Associates will handle the Carolinas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and general accounts in Florida, while Microwave Component Sources will handle specific target accounts in Florida. TriTex Technical Sales will cover Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana, and Calin-Southwest will be responsible for Arizona, New Mexico and El Paso. Rep Sales will handle Utah, Colorado, Wyoming and eastern Idaho.
Plextek Ltd. has signed a UK distribution agreement with Admiral Microwave Ltd. Admiral will be promoting Plextek's wide ranging electronics to microwaves design expertise and will now be in a position to offer a complete service to customers looking for system and RF subsystem solutions or an extended component characterization.
AMCOM Communications Inc. has made a series of representative appointments. E-Squared Marketing Inc. will handle New York/Long Island, northern New Jersey and southern Connecticut. Internationally, Nexos Electronic Systems Srl will be the exclusive representative for Italy and Matec Electronique for France.
WEB SITE
PolarFab has launched a new, fully upgraded Web site at www.polarfab.com. Designed to provide technical and real-time manufacturing information to fab-lite, fables and independent device manufacturers, the site features an easy-to-use, secure customer access center for customers to view current inventory status and testing data. The site also provides extensive technical information such as application notes for each of the company's bipolar and BiCMOS process technologies.