Circuits Assembly Online Magazine - Features

RAPID CITY, SD -- Sanmina-SCI, fresh off the announced acquisition of a JDS Uniphase plant in China, will shut its site here and lay off 275 workers, the Rapid City Journal is reporting today, citing a company spokesperson.

The factory once employed 1,700, according to local news reports.

ERLANGER, KY – Seho, a manufacturer of soldering equipment, has relocated to Erlanger, KY.

The facility houses a demonstration facility, spare parts and inventoried machines.

ANAHEIM, CA – The electronics segment of the Electronics West show held at the Anaheim Convention Center earlier this month was small, covering perhaps three or four rows, only half applicable to electronics manufacturing. But overall, the show seemed really busy.

TOKYO -- Top Japanese electronics OEMs may soon find themselves in the midst of contentious disputes over pay to union workers, several published reports say.

The major unions presented a monthly pay hike offer of 4,500 yen to management representatives today as part of Japan's annual spring labor-management wage negotiations.

Corporate responses are due March 18, and it's not at all clear the unions will like them. Management at NEC, Hitachi Panasonic and others are seeking pay cuts, with Hitachi's top personnel affairs officer saying "talks on whether annual pay hikes should continue are necessary."

NEC is proposing cuts in overtime pay and Toshiba plans to propose a temporary wage reductions as well, reports said.

HANOI -- Foxconn International Holdings (Hon Hai) has received government signoffs to build a $200-million cellphone plant in the Binh Xuyen II Industrial Park in Vinh Phuc province, some 60 km north of Hanoi.

The Vietnam News Agency is reporting production is scheduled to launch in the first quarter next year.

The factory will have capacity of 89 million cellphones and tens of millions of cellphone parts per year, VNA said.