INDUSTRY NEWS
Spectrum Control Inc. has acquired all of the outstanding common stock of FSY Microwave Inc. The purchase of FSY will enable Spectrum Control to expand its existing SPECWAVE line of ceramic-based wireless products and custom engineered wireless solutions.
Texas Instruments Radio Frequency Identification Systems announced the launch of its RFID European Product Information Center (EPIC), in Freising, Germany. An extension of Texas Instruments' semiconductor Product Information Centers, support staff at the EPIC is now available to assist customers with technical support questions regarding products and applications. Assistance is available in multiple languages.
BAE SYSTEMS has opened a consolidated business site in Fort Worth, TX. The office, Fort Worth Operations, brings about 75 people and some $200 M in annual business activities into one administrative infrastructure. Specifically the new location will allow closer interaction between BAE SYSTEMS and Lockheed Martin.
Lambda has moved its Melville, NY, complex to a new facility in Plainview, NY. Operations at the 27,000 square foot design center will focus on custom power solutions with manufacturing processes including machining and transformer prototyping, SMT and thru-hole capabilities, along with automated testing equipment and burn-in capabilities.
Sirenza Microdevices has established a new sales office in Stockholm, Sweden. The new office is designed to provide critical sales and applications support to strategic OEM accounts in Northern Europe. In related news, the company has been awarded US patent number 6,373,346 entitled "Laser Driver Pre-emphasis and De-emphasis Method and/or Architecture with Tuning and Duty Cycle Control." The patent discloses an analog method for pre-shaped data in order to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of VCSEL-based fiber-optic transmitters.
Technology and Devices International Inc. (TDI) , headquartered in Gaithersburg, MD, since its inception in 1997, is moving the entire TDI operation to a state-of-the-art facility in Silver Spring, MD. The new facility encompasses 32,000 square feet and includes expanded manufacturing and R&D space for crystal growth, epitaxial deposition and material characterization.
Funk Software announced that its Odyssey™ WLAN access control and security solution, based on the IEEE security standard 802.1x, will be carried by TerraWave Solutions , a distributor of WLAN products and custom WLAN solutions. The companies have signed a distribution agreement enabling TerraWave to sell Odyssey as a WLAN accessory and to incorporate it into custom WLAN implementations developed for TerraWave customers. In addition to Odyssey, TerraWave will offer Funk Software's complete line of security products.
Taconic and Teradyne Inc. Connection Systems Division (TCS) have reached an agreement to co-manufacture and market Taconic's patent-pending TacPreg™ material for large format PWB applications at both Teradyne's La Verne, CA, facility and Taconic's plants in Petersburgh, NY, and Mullingar, Ireland. In related news, Isola AG announced the formation of an industry alliance with Taconic Advanced Dielectric Division . Together, the companies will develop and produce substrate materials for high speed, digital printed circuitry applications. The alliance between the companies will leverage Taconic's product development core competency in the very high frequency microwave domain and Isola's strengths in PCB fabricator technical support and worldwide manufacturing to develop and produce superior substrate materials for high speed digital printed circuitry applications.
Motorola Inc.'s Semiconductor Products Sector and DuPont Air Products NanoMaterials LLC plan, under the terms of a recent agreement, to collaborate on an advanced copper chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) formulation. Motorola will provide its CMP formulation for 0.13 to 0.10 micron design rules to DA NanoMaterials, which will manufacture and market the slurry formulation globally.
M-Wave Inc. announced that Crown International, a Harman International company , has signed a three-year supply chain management agreement with M-Wave utilizing its virtual manufacturing concept. The company expects to ship up to $2 M of printed circuit boards per year under the terms of the agreement.
TRL Technologies Inc. , a subsidiary of Richardson Electronics , has been awarded QS-9000 registration from Underwriters Laboratories Inc.
Merrimac Industries Inc. has been granted a patent further protecting its proprietary Multi-Mix" Microtechnology integrated modules. The company had previously obtained patent protection for its unique processing of Multi-Mix products. The new patent establishes Merrimac's rights to the resulting products and provides Merrimac with patent protection on its total solution.
RF Micro Devices Inc. has begun high volume production shipments of power amplifier modules to Samsung . Shipments of the global system for mobile communications PA modules represent the company's first PA sales to Samsung. The PA modules complement ongoing sales to Samsung of small signal devices.
Semflex Inc. was awarded Lockheed Martin Corp.'s highest level of supplier recognition, the STAR Supplier Facility Award.
Superconductor Technologies Inc. has been named to Deloitte & Touche's "Technology Fast 50" program for the Los Angeles, CA, area. The program is a ranking of the 50 fastest growing technology companies in the area; rankings are based on the percentage of growth in fiscal year revenues from 1997 to 2001.
FINANCIAL NEWS
RF Micro Devices Inc. reports sales of $103.9 M for the first quarter ended June 30, 2002, compared to $70.1 M for the same period in 2001. Net income was $2.3 M (1¢/diluted share), compared to a net loss of $28.4 M (17¢/share) for the first quarter of last fiscal year.
TESSCO Technologies Inc. reports sales of $69.1 M for first quarter ended June 30, 2002, compared to $59.9 M for the same period in 2001. Net income was $1.1 M (25¢/diluted share), compared to $283 K (6¢/diluted share) for the first quarter of last year.
REMEC Inc. reports sales of $59.1 M for the first quarter ended May 3, 2002, compared to $58.9 M for the same period in 2001. Net loss was $5.2 M (21¢/diluted share), compared to a net loss of $9.2 M (21¢/diluted share) for the first quarter of last year.
Superconductor Technologies Inc. reports sales of $6.1 M for the second quarter ended June 29, 2002, compared to $4.2 M for the same period in 2001. Net loss was $6.6 M (29¢/diluted share), compared to a net loss of $4.1 M (23¢/diluted share) for the second quarter of last year.
SpaceBridge Semiconductor Corp. announced the completion of a $21 M (Canadian) financing round led by SGF Tech. SGF invested $17 M in support of SpaceBridge's ongoing new product development and marketing efforts.
Antenova has secured $9.4 M of second round venture capital for its small and directional antenna technology, from a consortium led by Quester and Cambridge Gateway Fund . This round is almost double the size of Antenova's first round in 2001.
Applied Wave Research Inc. (AWR) and CMEA Ventures have completed AWR's Series B preferred stock financing totaling $7.4 M. CMEA, who will be taking an equity position and providing representation on AWR's board of directors, led the round. The investment will be used to accelerate the development of the company's high frequency electronic design automation solutions and expand AWR's worldwide sales organization.
Marconi Applied Technologies announced a £72 M management buyout with European venture capitalist 3i. The move will help secure jobs and aid future development of the business across its locations worldwide. Marconi Applied Technologies is to be re-named E2V Technologies .
CONTRACTS
Cree Inc. has been awarded government contracts totaling $26.5 M, if fully funded, over a three-year period from the Office of Naval Research and Air Force Research Laboratories for silicon carbide MMIC process development. The US Navy, the Missile Defense Agency and the Department of Defense's Title III program jointly funded these contracts.
HUBER+SUHNER has been awarded a two-year subcontract by General Dynamics Decision Systems to supply microwave assemblies for the Navy's STANDARD Missile Program. The subcontract is valued at $550 K with work to be performed at the Essex, VT, facility. General Dynamics is the prime contractor on the program.
TECOM Industries Inc. , a TRAK Communications company, has received a contract award from General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, Mountain View, CA. TECOM will provide both crossed polarized log periodic antenna systems and high frequency monopole antennas to be used in surveillance and intelligence gathering applications.
As part of a recently concluded high volume production agreement, the RF Components division of Raytheon Co. will supply Telson Electronics with the RMPA0951A-102 GaAs HBT power amplifier for the handset manufacturer's TD8600 single-band, dual-mode handset for the Korean and Chinese markets. The agreement marks the first in a series of anticipated production orders between the two companies.
PERSONNEL
Cushcraft Corp. has named Gregory S. Czuba as its president and chief operating officer. Previously, Czuba had been president of REMEC Wireless, where he led 300 employees in the design, development and manufacture of wireless radio and filter products.
KVH Industries has hired Patrick J. Spratt as the company's chief financial officer. Spratt succeeds Richard Forsyth, who will remain with the company in the role of VP, finance. Spratt brings 30 years of finance and operations experience to the company.
Unity Wireless Corp. announced that Brian Nixon and Doron Nevo have joined the company's board of directors. Nixon was also named to the non-executive position of vice chairman. Nixon brings over 20 years of corporate and entrepreneurial leadership experience to the board. Most recently, he was senior VP, business solutions with BCE Media Inc. Nevo brings more than 20 years of business experience in high technology and telecommunications to the board. Nevo is president and CEO of KiloLambda Technologies Ltd.
Schema has appointed Roni Abiri as chief technology officer and Andrew Burroughs as chief marketing officer. Abiri brings over 20 years of experience in the telecom industry and will focus on the development of future wireless technologies. Burroughs comes to Schema with over 18 years experience in global telecommunications and the wireless industry, and brings an extensive background in a wide range of fields.
Corning Gilbert Microwave Products has named Carolyn Case VP of business development. In this new role, Case will lead the company's microwave products business and accelerate the strategic new business ventures for Corning Gilbert worldwide.
Semflex Inc. has appointed Cameron Selogie as the company's VP and general manager. He will be responsible for developing and implementing growth and profit strategies in all functional areas of the operation.
CMC Wireless Components has appointed Chris Mosher East Coast sales director. Mosher has a background in ceramic microelectronic packaging as well as a technical background in material science.
Sirenza Microdevices has named Sam Taban the company's strategic accounts director for Sweden and Finland. Taban will work out of the company's new sales office in Stockholm, Sweden, and brings years of experience in a succession of key design and marketing positions with a number of wireless OEM manufacturers.
Zentrix Technologies Inc. has named Krista Lynch to its inside sales team as account representative for the powder metals products group. In this position, Lynch is responsible for customer service of the company's copper/tungsten heatsinks used in the wireless and optoelectronics industries.
Trompeter Electronics has named Joe Anderson field sales engineer for the Dixie States territory of Georgia, Alabama and East Tennessee. Prior to joining the company, Anderson was a regional sales engineer for Atlanta Cable Sales.
WEB SITE
American Beryllia Corp. has introduced a new Web site, www.americanberyllia.com, that provides product designers with complete information on the company's ability to press, extrude, and fire BeO to suite a wide variety of product development requirements. The site includes a brief company overview, information on manufacturing capabilities and services inclusive of material preparation (forming), firing, and finishing methods available to meet exact customer requirements.
REP APPOINTMENTS
Link Microtek has been appointed as exclusive UK distributor for Japanese ceramic filter manufacturer UBE Electronics . Link Microtek will be supplying UBE's complete range of low profile surface-mount filters and high performance dielectric filters and diplexers
Schumacher , a unit of Air Products and Chemical Inc's global Electronics Division , has signed a long term agreement with Dow Corning to serve as the global master distributor of three new liquid chemical vapor deposition precursors - Z4MS,™ ZTOMCATS™ and Z2DM.™
Vitelec Electronics has named Charcroft Electronics as a franchised distributor. The move is designed to carefully match customers with the distributor that provides the best fit in terms of area of expertise. The agreement covers Vitelec's RF coaxial connectors and cable assemblies for defense, aerospace, instrumentation, contract manufacturing and industrial applications.
Phase One Microwave Inc. , Rocklin, CA, has made a series of new rep appointments. Boston Micro-Components will handle the New England states of Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Northern Technical Sales will be responsible for upstate New York and J-Square Marketing will cover metro New York, including Long Island and northern New Jersey. Scientific Devices-Phila. will handle eastern Pennsylvania, Delaware and southern New Jersey. Eastern Tech Corp. will be responsible for Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC, while Q-Mark will handle Ohio, western Pennsylvania, Indiana, Kentucky and Michigan.
Hittite Microwave Corp. has appointed two new sales representative firms to serve customers in India and Taiwan. Syratron Marketing Private Ltd. , headquartered in Bangalore, will handle sales in India, while Bandtek International Co. Ltd. will cover the market in Taiwan.
M-tron Industries Inc. has signed Arrow Electronics as a distributor. Arrow is one of the largest distributor's of electronic components and computer products. The partnership between the two companies is designed to help raise the bar for customer expectations in frequency control devices products and supply chain management.