LOUISVILLE -- Just days after reiterating plans to lay off up to 1,500 workers, Solectron Corp. opened a 500,000 sq. ft. services center here and said it would hire up to 700 workers in the next 12 months.

The facility will perform parts fulfillment and repair for consumer electronics like cellphones.
Read more ...

LOHJA, FINLAND -- Elcoteq's chief executive today confirmed earlier reports the EMS firm would close its Lohja manufacturing plant and lay off a total of 242 employees by August.

The company said 215 workers would be affected by the Lohja plant closing. Another 27 would be laid off as part of changes to its NPI organization.

Read more ...

PHOENIX -- Electronics manufacturing provider Suntron Corp. reported net sales of $69.3 million and an operating loss of $4.7 million for its fourth quarter ended Dec. 31. The results include $1.7 million of restructuring charges due to the closure of two U.S. manufacturing operations. The net loss was $5.7 million, versus net income of $100,000 in 2005.

For the year, net sales were down 2% to $320.8 million. Gross profit as a percentage of net sales improved to 5.6% for 2006, up 0.5 points. The gross profit includes restructuring charges of $2.9 million for 2006 and $1.2 million for 2005. The company also cut debt by 33%, to about $32 million. The net loss widened $600,000 to $11.9 million, including a writeoff of debt issuance costs of $1.4 million and restructuring charges of $3.5 million.

For the quarter, the company saw a decrease in gross profit due to higher restructuring costs and lower net sales. Sequentially, gross profit decreased $4.1 million.

In 2006, Suntron closed business units in Lawrence, MA, and Olathe, KS, In February, it sold its Garner, IA, EMS plant for $4.8 million, a gain of approximately $500,000.

Although the 2006 financial results do not reflect it, we believe the restructuring actions taken during the year have poised the company for a promising future,'' stated Paul Singh, Suntron's president and chief executive officer.

"We believe that the majority of our restructuring efforts should be complete by the end of the first quarter. As we execute our 2007 business plan, our focus will be on profitable growth, working capital management, and quality customer service," said Singh.

BANNOCKBURN, IL – IPC today announced publication of the 2006-2007 IPC International Technology Roadmap for Electronic Interconnections. The biennial roadmap provides direction for product and process development for companies manufacturing substrates and assemblies. The Roadmap is available as a free download to IPC members at www.ipc.org/membersonly. The Roadmap can also be purchased in a CD format.