SAN DIEGO – EPIC Technologies, Applied Technical Services and Burton Industries took home top honors in CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY's annual Service Excellence Awards announced last night.

SAN DIEGO – CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY and PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB magazines today announced the winners of the 2012 New Product Introduction Award for electronics assembly equipment, materials and software, and PCB fabrication.

THOUSAND OAKS, CA -- Teledyne Technologies has acquired VariSystems, a supplier of custom harsh environment interconnects. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

BANNOCKBURN, IL — North American printed circuit board fabricators saw shipments fall 3.5% year-over-year in January, IPC said today. Bookings rose 6.2% from a year ago.

MORRISVILLE, NC — Juki Automation Systems has signed a long-term exclusive agreement to distribute Shenzhen JT Automation Equipment's soldering equipment in the Americas.

METHUEN, MA -- ZeeVee, a developer of high-definition video distribution products, recently moved its overseas contract manufacturing operations to Massachusetts from China, where it had been manufacturing since introducing its first-generation products about five years ago.

LONDON -- Cookson's electronics solder and surface finishes business unit reported revenues of GBP814 million ($1.29 billion), up 13% year-over-year. Demand was steady, with much of the revenue (GBP111 million) increase attributed to higher raw metals prices. Excluding price inflation, base business revenues were up 1% from 2010.

WILSONVILLE, OR -- Mentor Graphics today announced a new group of electronics design software developers and manufacturers dedicated to supporting its ODB++ data transfer format.

SINGAPORE – Electronics manufacturing services provider Venture Corp. reported fourth-quarter 2011 revenue of S$632.5 million, down 10.3% year-over-year and up 8.4% sequentially.

Fourth-quarter net profit was S$38 million, down 30% year-over-year and up 7.3% sequentially.

Full-year 2011 sales were S$2.4 billion, down 9.1% year-over-year.

The firm attributes the decline to the depreciation of the Singapore dollar.

2011 net profit was S$156.5 million, down 16.8% compared to 2010.

The company closed 2011 with net cash of S$309.1 million.

Venture anticipates improved traction with several customers in 2012, but is cognizant of the uncertainty of the global economy.

Ed: S$1 = US$0.7966

SAN JOSE – The 90-day moving average of semiconductor equipment orders at North America-based manufacturers was $1.18 billion in January, up moderately over the revised December numbers.

GAINESVILLE, GA – Count On Tools announced another expansion of its manufacturing operations at its headquarters here.

The expansion is in response to demand for SMT nozzles and consumables, as well as precision contract machining services.

The firm said it recently purchased a Haas TL-2 Toolroom Lathe.

Count On Tools provides precision components and SMT spare parts.

TOKYO -- Japanese semiconductor equipment manufacturers reported the 90-day moving average bookings fell 3.9% from last year to ￥99,304 million in January.