IRVINE, CA -- Probe Manufacturing today reported first-quarter net profits rose 53% year-over-year to $24,729.

LOUISVILLE, KY -- Sypris Solutions swung to a first-quarter net profit of $2.1 million, reversing a loss of $2.4 million in the year-ago period.

SMYRNA, GA – As printed circuit boards face unprecedented demands for size, functionality and cost, the upcoming PCB West 2011 technical conference and trade show offers the experts and information to face the challenge.

PCB West 2011 will be held September 27 – 29 at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center and is sponsored by the UP Media Group publications PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB (pcdandf.com) and CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY (circuitsassembly.com).

PCB West 2011 includes a three-day Technical Conference consisting of more than 50 presentations, including more than 10 workshops, panel sessions and half-day seminars. This year’s technical conference features speakers from Texas Instruments, Freescale Semiconductor, Multek and 3-M, and features the ever-popular Rick Hartley, Susy Webb and Gary Ferrari. Topics range from basic design techniques to flex circuit design, advanced RF, signal integrity and high pin count BGA routing.

PCB West 2011 also features a one-day exhibition showcasing the PCB industry’s leading vendors, plus an array of free technical sessions. This year’s conference also includes a special one-day assembly track coordinated by the SMTA Silicon Valley Chapter. Details regarding the conference and exhibition are available at www.pcbwest.com.

Now in its 20th year, PCB West provides show attendees – printed circuit board (PCB) engineers, designers, fabricators, assemblers and managers – with the most targeted conference in the PCB design industry. Registration is now open for PCB West: www.pcbwest.com.

Attendees who register for the conference by August 26, 2011 will receive a $100 discount on select conference packages. Admission is free for the one-day exhibition and other "FREE Wednesday" events (registration is free, but required). To register or learn more about the show, visit www.pcbwest.com.

For more information about PCB West, visit www.pcbwest.com or contact Show Manager Alyson Skarbek at 404-665-7749; askarbek@upmediagroup.com.

TREDEGAR, WALES -- LED lighting OEM PhotonStar LED Group has acquired EMS firm Camtronics Vale in a deal that could be worth up to £375,000.

WAYZATA, MN – For the quarter ended Mar. 31, Nortech Systems reported net sales of $29 million, up 33% year-over-year.

Net income for the first quarter totaled $600,000, compared to net income of $100,000 in the same quarter of 2010.

The company’s acquisitions, including Winland’s EMS operations, accounted for $5.5 million of the increase.

The firm’s 90-day backlog increased to $20 million, compared to $19 million for the same period last year, and $18.5 million at the start of the quarter.

Nortech is a contract electronics manufacturer of wire and cable assemblies, printed circuit board assemblies, higher-level assemblies and box builds.

LAGUNA, PHILIPPINES -- Integrated Micro-Electronics Inc. reported net income of $377,000, down from $3.2 million a year ago, on higher material and shipping costs and currency fluctuations. The EMS firm plans to expand to Mexico and Europe soon, the company's top executive said.

CHICAGO – There were 11 completed EMS transactions in the first quarter, on par with M&A activity sequentially, as the industry is still making more moves than in 2009, according to a new report by Lincoln International.

Continued economic and credit market improvements combined with the general market need to deploy cash is driving further M&A, the firm says.

Both EMS consolidation and private equity investment represented four transactions each, or 36% of total activity in the quarter, respectively. While EMS consolidations remained relatively steady, this number of private equity investment transactions is double the amount exhibited in either of the previous two quarters. This highlights the current focus of private equity firms to deploy capital and a renewed desire to invest in the EMS industry, the firm says.

Six transactions occurred within the US and Canada in the first quarter, or 55% of total transactions, highlighting a trend of continued increased M&A activity in the regions year-over-year. Three European deals occurred, equivalent to the level exhibited in each of the last two quarters.

Two cross-border transactions occurred during the period, the highest number in more than two years.

Small tier companies (9) accounted for 82% of all transactions. The large and mid tiers each had one transaction, or 9% of activity each, says Lincoln.

EL SEGUNDO, CA – The impact of the recession and rising sales of smartphones will deal a setback to contract manufacturers in the global handset market, limiting the companies to less than a 30% share of the wireless handset market during the next four years, says IHS iSuppli.

COLLEGE PARK, MD – CALCE and IPC will sponsor a technical seminar May 24 and 25 here: JISSO Forum on Reliability of Electronics.

This seminar is intended to provide an interactive forum to discuss the latest concerns, trends and technologies in electronics that impact product reliability.

CALCE, IPC and members of the JISSO International Council will speak on embedded technologies, batteries, environmental regulations, counterfeit avoidance, test and simulation methods, and the emerging field of prognostics.

Attendees will get a snapshot of integrated electronics development and manufacturing, and receive input on technologies that will impact the electronics industry over the next 10 years.

JISSO North America will also host the Annual JISSO International Conference (May 25 – 27) and a standards meetings for the IEC Technical Committee 91 on printed circuit boards (May 23 – 25), both also at the University of Maryland. 

BANNOCKBURN, IL – An estimated one-third of all printed circuit boards for US defense or military systems are produced outside North America, according to recent IPC data.

TAIPEI -- Foxconn Electronics' (Hon Hai) non-consolidated revenues rose 33.2% year-over-year in April to NT$204.9 billion ($7.2 billion) on growth in consumer electronics.

PATHUMTHANI, THAILAND -- SVI Public Co., the third largest Thailand-based EMS company, reported first-quarter consolidated net profits rose 32% to 229 million baht ($7.6 million), a record for the quarter.