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BARCELONA – Essemtec Switzerland says a distribution contract for Spain has been signed with TCH, Technology & Chemical, S. L, Cadiz and Barcelona, Spain.

Essemtec says it needed a second Spanish distribution partner, in addition to Maquinaria Suiza. Essemtec will build a local service and support organization with the local firm.

TCH offers sales and support for all Essemtec entry-level machines for prototyping and small volumes. The equipment covers prototyping up to low-volume production. Their engineers can offer both machine and process training.

TCH has many years’ experience supplying production materials in Spain.

TAIPEI -- Foxconn Electronics reported November revenues rose 1% year-over-year to NT$134.9 billion (US$4.05 billion). Sales were down 20% from October, however.

The EMS/ODM company's year-to-date revenues hit NT$1.35 billion ($40.6 billion), up 24.22% year-over-year.

LUXEMBOURG – Top tier EMS firm Elcoteq has scheduled a round of statutory cooperation procedure talks in Finland.

"The company estimates that the need for possible personnel reductions in Finland could apply to at most about 50 people across all employee categories," the company said in a statement.

The news comes on the heels of an announcement of the shuttering of the company's manufacturing plant in Salo, Finland. That move cost 36 employees their jobs.

Elcoteq currently has roughly 21,000 employees worldwide, approximately 180 in Finland.

ARLINGTON, VA – Electronic component orders took a dip in November, although not nearly as drastic as the one in September, says the Electronic Components Association. The 12-month average, comparing this year’s results to those from 2007, continued the slight descent that began this summer.

HIALEAH, FL -- Simclar Inc. intends to voluntarily delist its common shares from the Nasdaq Capital Market and voluntarily deregister its common shares by Dec. 19 and cease filing reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the EMS company said today.

The company, a 73.4% owned subsidiary of privately held Simclar Group Ltd., said the costs of its Nasdaq listing and SEC compliance is "substantial" and the benefits "intangible."

CAMBRIDGE, MA -- Forrester Research lowered its 2009 US IT spending forecast to 1.6%, on slower demand for computers. The research group previously guided for 6.1% growth next year. It marks the fourth time in 10 months the firm has reduced its 2009 outlook.

NEW YORK -- Deutsche Bank Equity Research today cut its 2009 EMS industry revenue outlook to a 7% drop.

BREDA, HOLLAND – Cobar Europe recognized its top sales performers for 2008.

The Sales Team of the Year was awarded to PEM Technologies, manufacturer’s representatives for South Africa since November 2007.

Sales Person of the Year was awarded to Jerzy Ziolkowski of C.H. Erbslöh, representatives for Poland. In 2004, Erbslöh Poland won the sales team award.

Cobar Europe, part of the Balver Zinn Group, supplies solder, paste, fluxes and related materials.

NEEDHAM, MA – PTC has acquired privately held Synapsis Technology Inc. for an undisclosed sum.

Spring House, PA-based Synapsis has approximately 25 employees and provides environmental regulatory compliance solutions to Motorola, Microsoft, Sony Ericsson, Visteon, Delphi, IBM, GE, Beckman Coulter, Teradyne and Cisco.

PTC provides product lifecycle management, content management and dynamic publishing solutions.

With the acquisition, PTC says it will broaden its support for green product design and enable customers to achieve compliance with REACH and other environmental regulations.

OLATHE, KS – EMS provider Elecsys Corp. reported fiscal second-quarter 2009 sales of $7.2 million, up 29% year-over-year. Net income was $424,000 for the quarter ended Oct. 31, up about 98% compared to the same period last year.

For the six-month period, net income totaled $533,000, up 65.5% year-over-year.

The firm expects a modest decline in revenues and profits for the third quarter, and a strong fiscal fourth quarter.

Total sales year-to-date increased 23% to $12.8 million. The increase is attributed to sales generated by the company’s Radix subsidiary's handheld computer business.

"The results reflect the strong growth of our Radix division, as well as the steady growth of NTG and the continued stability of DCI," said Karl Gemperli, Elecsys CEO.

Sales of Radix rugged handheld computer hardware and peripherals surged to approximately $3.3 million for the quarter. Radix sales included a $2.6 million order announced in July and delivered during the quarter to South Africa-based Transnet.

NTG sales of remote monitoring products were $833,000, up 2% year-over-year.

VANCOUVER – Electronics manufacturing services provider Creation Technologies has acquired Santa Clara, CA-based EMS firm ProWorks Inc. for an undisclosed sum.

ELK GROVE VILLAGE, IL – EMS provider SigmaTron International Inc. reported second-quarter fiscal 2009 revenues were $41.1 million, down 4% year-over-year.

Net income was $1.5 million, up 54% compared to the same quarter last year.

For the six months ended Oct, 31, revenues were $79.6 million, down nearly 4% year-over-year. Net income for the same period was $2.1 million, up 28.6% year-over-year.

“Unfortunately, starting the first week in November, we have seen our revenue drop approximately 30% from October's run rate. Given the condition of the economy, this slowdown comes as no surprise, and at this point, it will certainly continue for the third quarter and probably beyond. Recently, the company decided to postpone the planned expansion of its China facility, announced in July 2008, in response to the current economic conditions,” said Gary R. Fairhead, president and CEO.