TAIPEI -- Abit, a publicly traded manufacturer of PC hardware, is putting its main
production facilities in China on the market and will outsource its manufacturing, according to news reports.
According to local press
reports, Abit will use the proceeds to retire debt.
WETZLAR, GERMANY -- Golden Gate Capital has acquired the semiconductor equipment division of Leica Microsystems AG. Terms were not
disclosed.
David Dominik, managing director of Golden Gate, said in a statement. “SED is
well-positioned for growth as a market leader in mask metrology,
optical defect review, and direct-write E-beam lithography.”
In 2004,
the division's revenues were approximately $120 million.
Leica Microsystems SED will continue to be led by the current
management team, with manufacturing
operations in Germany and the U.K. The company will be called Leica Microsystems SED for a short transition period until
a new name has been established.
The acquisition represents the second semiconductor investment for Golden Gate
in 2005. In April, the investor group acquired TDK
Semiconductor, now named Teridian Semiconductor.
Leica Microsystems makes quality control and defect analysis solutions and
E-beam lithography systems for the semiconductor industry.
Leica
Microsystems AG is a subsidiary of Danaher Corp.
BANNOCKBURN, IL – IPC today issued a statement supporting the
U.S. EPA’s actions to amend the Toxics Release Inventory program but
noting concerns over its limited
benefits to electronics manufacturers.
In a statement, IPC environmental policy director Fern Abrams said, “IPC certainly appreciates EPA’s efforts, but we’re
a bit disheartened that the EPA’s proposals will not provide the
manufacturing sector with burden
reductions of any significance."
Recent TRI Burden Reduction Initiatives announced by the EPA include a
proposed rule that would increase the number of TRI reporters eligible to use the short TRI Form A.
Abrams said the move would have little benefit for most facilities. "While the EPA proposes allowing
facilities reporting lead and other persistent, bioaccumulative and
toxic (PBT) chemicals to use the shorter Form A, it only applies if
they are reporting zero releases," Abrams said. "When combined with the agency’s
failure to address enforcement concerns for facilities using Form A, it
is likely that very few facilities will utilize this burden reduction
option.”
EPA also plans to
notify Congress of its intentions to change the TRI Reporting
requirement from annual reporting to alternate-year reporting, thus
providing some relief to a select number of TRI reporters, IPC said.
Abrams said such a move would be "win-win for all involved" as it would cut the reporting
burden in half across the board.