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WASHINGTON – Investment in technologies and the opening of markets abroad are at the core of a new policy for manufacturing issued by the Obama administration this week.

Among the components of the proposed policy are to provide workers the opportunity to gain needed skills; investment in technologies and business practices; the creation of efficient capital markets for investment; transition aid; transportation infrastructure investment; an improved business environment; and market access and fairness in foreign markets.

Toward the latter, the policy includes many trade-related provisions, including opening foreign markets, enforcing trade agreements, reviewing export control regulations, and promoting exports.

The document asserts that through “sound government policy,” US manufacturing could see momentous growth.

The Small Business Administration also is taking on programs to support manufacturing exporters: training modules; awareness campaign; business outreach; encouraging trade financing; protecting IP; revising tax breaks; reducing trade deficit, and expanding adjustment assistance.

ST. LOUIS – Sikorsky Aircraft awarded LaBarge a multi-year contract valued at approximately $18.9 million to produce electronic assemblies for various models of UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters through 2014.

LaBarge has manufactured cables and electronic assemblies for the Black Hawk program since 2005. The new contract expands the firm’s manufacturing role to include additional types of electronic assemblies that support lighting and power systems in the helicopters.

Production on the contract’s initial release, which is valued at $3.5 million, began this month and is expected to continue through December 2010.

LaBarge is performing the work at its Huntsville, AK, facility.

Sikorsky is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp.

WESTLAKE, OH -- Nordson reported fourth-quarter sales rose 15% sequentially, with all regions and segments reporting strong growth.

MILTON, NY -- Sono-Tek Corp. reported third-quarter sales of about $2 million, up 18% sequentially and 37% year-over-year for the period ended Nov. 30.

NEWARK, NY -- IEC Electronics today acquired EMS firm General Technology Corp. for $14.2 million in cash.

HONG KONG — Semiconductor revenue fell for the sixth time in the past 25 years, with worldwide revenue dropping 11.4% to $226 billion in 2009. It was the first time the semiconductor industry posted consecutive annual declines.

WASHINGTON -- The US Federal Trade Commission today sued Intel, charging the chipmaker with illegally using its dominant market position to stifle competition and strengthen its monopoly.

SAN JOSE – MEPTEC announced sessions for its From Chip to System: Design Challenges and Solutions symposium on Feb. 25.

ELK GROVE VILLAGE, IL – EMS firm SigmaTron International reported fiscal second-quarter revenues decreased 25.5% year-over-year to $30.6 million. Sales were up 16.3% from the previous quarter.

TOKYO – Global electronics sales could rise 5% to 200 trillion yen ($2.24 trillion) next year, Japan’s leading electronics industry association forecast today.

Electronics and communications equipment, in terms of dollars shipped, will grow for the first time in three years, said the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association.

The trade group pointed to tremendous spending by various governments, including $586 billion in China, $224 billion in Japan, and $800 billion in the US, as helping to spur recovery in electronics.

OLATHE, KS – Elecsys Corp. reported a fiscal second-quarter loss, with a drop in revenue of 44% year-over-year.

The electronic design and manufacturing company posted sales of $4 million for the quarter, with a loss of $322,000, compared with earnings of $424,000 during the same period of 2008.

The company's EDMS sales were $2.3 million, down 25% from the prior year.

The company cited the general economy for the decline.

Elecsys expects to begin shipping the FW950 handheld computer in the current quarter.

MANASSAS, VA – Heraeus and Zestron recently completed an evaluation of 10 solder pastes to characterize the ability to clean flux residues on reflowed assemblies. The effort also examined each paste in its unreflowed state to identify the best methods of removal from stencils and misprinted boards.

The companies have released application bulletins for cleaning the paste formulations.