NEW YORK -- Worldwide semiconductor manufacturing equipment spending is projected to total $35.8 billion in 2013, a 5.5% decline from 2012, according to Gartner.

RAINTON BRIDGE, TYNE AND WEAR, ENGLAND -- Connor Solutions in investing £3.6m to add capacity and a larger workforce at its EMS factory here.

PENANG, MALAYSIA - Escatec has announced its membership in the United Nations Global Compact, a group of companies that voluntarily agree to support several human rights principles.

FRANKFURT --  German printed circuit board manufacturers reported orders rose for the third month in a row in April.

IRVINE, CA – Probe Manufacturing reported sales of approximately $713,000 for the three months ended Mar. 31, down 44.6% year-over-year.

ST. PETERSBURG, FL – Jabil Circuit reported fiscal third-quarter revenue up 5.1% year-over-year to $4.5 billion.

SAN JOSE – Serial entrepreneur Paul Wesling will keynote the upcoming International Wafer-Level Packaging Conference by looking at just how the Silicon Valley came to be the worldwide tech mecca.

SAN DIEGO – Finland-based JOT Automation has opened a new site here.

WASHINGTON – Dr. Jennie S. Hwang has been appointed as chair for the Board on Assessment of US Army Research Laboratories – Materials, Department of Defense.

ORADEA, ROMANIA -- Plexus has opened a $30 million, 290,000 sq. ft. electronics assembly facility here. The initial head count of 300 is expected to grow to 1,000 when the unit is fully operational, according to published reports.

NEWARK, NY -- IEC Electronics has been notified that the New York Stock Exchange has accepted the company's plan to regain compliance with its continued listing requirements.

TAIPEI -- Wistron will form a medical business group by year-end, becoming the latest PC ODM to expand into other, higher-margin markets.