Circuits Assembly Online Magazine - Features

MINNEAPOLIS -- Nortech Systems Inc. reported net sales of $20.4 million for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, a 30% increase over last year. Net income was $202,857, versus a net loss of $155,541.

For the fiscal year, net sales at the EMS provider were up 25% to $72.7 million. Net income for year was $587,329, beating guidance, versus $633,448.

"We are very pleased with these record-setting revenue levels for Nortech in the fourth quarter and for the entire year," said Mike Degen, president and CEO. "We will use this opportunity to leverage these strong results to expand our customer base and continue to invest in the Nortech brand and our infrastructure."

Throughout the year margin pressure was strong due to higher energy costs, increased commodity prices and international competition.

Nortech guided for fiscal 2005 revenues to increase 8 to 10%, to $78 million to $80 million. Earnings per diluted share for 2005 are expected to be 30 to 35 cents.

SANTA CLARA, CA -- Ambitech International has sold its Silicon Valley PCB fabrication and assembly division to a group of investors. Terms were not disclosed.

Hunter Technology Corp. was acquired by Ambitech in March 2001, right at the end of the peak of the North American electronics market. Hunter has been in business for nearly 40 years.

Hunter specializes in printed circuit board fabrication and electronics assembly for high-mix products for medical, aerospace, communications and capital equipment.

BANNOCKBURN, IL - Enforcement of existing international trade agreements is the main thrust of an industry lobbying effort this spring.

IPC is coordinating a industrywide call on Congress and the Bush Administration to press China to live up to its trade agreements.

The annual event, called Capitol Hill Day, will take place May 18, in Washington, D.C.

The message is that until the administration enforces present WTO commitments, and U.S. trading partners abide by them, Congress should suspend consideration of any new trade agreements, IPC said in a press release.

"It's important to compel our trading partners to abide by the agreed upon rules of international trade, especially China, who continues to manipulate its currency for manufacturing and export advantages," says John Kania, IPC director of government relations. "We hope that by meeting with senators and representatives, we'll be able to influence national policy and legislation as it moves through Congress."

(Doug Bartlett, founding director of the U.S. Printed Circuit Alliance, discussed this topic in his keynote speech at PCB West 2005. Visit http://www.pcdandm.com/pcdmag/pdf/pcbwest05_keynote.pdf.)

For more information on the lobbying effort contact Kania at jkania@ipc.org.

DALLAS - Pintail Technologies, a provider of semiconductor test software, has
secured $7 million in venture capital funding, bringing the company's
total funding to date to $11.5 million. Austin Ventures, Agilent Ventures, Duchossois Technology Partners, IVF Ventures and STARTech Early Ventures were among the investors, Pintail said.

The new funding will be used to expand the company's worldwide sales and
support teams and to finance the development of additional test performance
improvement solutions.

Pintail's software is for mixed-signal test time acceleration, reducing field defects and reviewing test operations.

Oyster Bay, NY - March 18 - RFID supply chain mandates launched by a few big retailers such as Wal-Mart and Target are now well documented and understood. But many other retailers are finding problems and frustration when they try to apply RFID in the same way.

Why? According to ABI Research analyst Sara Shah, "There's no cookie-cutter approach to RFID." In a new study, the research firm finds a disconnection: RFID manufacturers -- many of them relatively new companies -- don't understand retail; and many retailers don't understand how RFID can benefit them. This leaves them frustrated and slows down market adoption.

"Wal-Mart's approach is creative," said Shah. "It's very worthwhile for them, which is why they're pushing forward on schedule. Other retailers follow, thinking that Wal-Mart's business case will apply just as well to them. But it may not work, because every business and every supply chain is different."

So, many retailers turn to their usual consulting companies -- often one of the largest half-dozen. But big consultants are rarely early adopters of new technologies, says ABI; they're often content to let ideas mature before getting involved.

Beyond supply chain management, nobody knows how many ways RFID can be used; known applications include security & "backdoor theft" prevention, contactless payments, advertising and promotions. Shah advises retailers to consider smaller consulting firms, where they'll find people who can find new ways to use RFID. Unfortunately, she adds, many of those small creative integrators lack the resources to execute system-wide rollouts for large clients.

For their part, RFID vendors need to educate themselves about retailing, and to develop solutions to retailers' problems, not just one-size-fits-all products.