ITASCA, IL – Kester became the latest solder vendor to announce a surcharge on silver- and tin-containing solder paste products. The price increase will take effect 30 days from customer notification. As has been noted, metal costs have been increasing steadily for the past year and show no signs of retreating during the balance of 2007. As a result, solder vendors are passing along the higher costs to their customers. Kester is the third major supplier to announce a surcharge in recent weeks; the others were Cookson and Indium. The surcharges on Kester’s solder paste products are based on the difference between current metal costs and those from January 2006. The surcharge will be eliminated when tin and silver prices return to January 2006 levels, Kester said.
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.
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.