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GLENVIEW, IL -- Illinois Tool Works today reported operating revenues fell 18% year-over-year to $3.4 billion for the period ended Oct. 31.

ARLINGTON, VA -- Worldwide electronic component orders took a breather in October, dipping slightly while the 12-month average remained flat.

NELSON, BC – EMS firm Pacific Insight reported fiscal first-quarter sales fell 23% year-over-year to $5.65 million.

Sequentially, sales rose 15% for the period ended Sept. 30.

The loss was $132,000, down from net income of $155,000 in the prior year. The company ended the quarter debt-free.

Although the marketplace is showing signs of recovery, PI's first quarter sales and overall performance continue to be impacted by the economic downturn, the company said.

CHICAGO – The markets for electronics end-products and outsourcing will return to annualized growth of 5% over the next 12 to 24 months, following an estimated 9% contraction in 2009.

Those are the findings of InForum chief economist Matt Chanoff, who said the total available electronics manufacturing market will grow from $1.2 trillion this year to $1.4 trillion by 2013.

He estimates the EMS industry will close this year down 19% to $103 billion, then will grow to $127 billion by 2013.

The ODM market fell 7.8% this year to $107 billion, and is forecasted to grow to $135 billion by 2013, he said.

A major influence on this year’s forecast was the manner in which InForum treated the revenues for Foxconn, which for the first time were not all included in the EMS sector, but broken out between the EMS and ODM industries.

Automotive, medical and aerospace and defense are the segments with the greatest outsourcing growth potential, he said.

The research firm also said the regional footprint for electronics manufacturing continues to shift to Asia, although somewhat less aggressively than in past years, driven by demand for low-cost labor, available capacity, and ODMs diversification into automotive and medical. However, there are some counterweights. “Mitigating the shift to Asia is the rising cost of labor in China, OEM insourcing, and greater consideration of total cost of ownership in outsourcing decisions,” InForum analyst Eric Miscoll said.

DUSSELDORF, GERMANY – Henkel reported third-quarter sales down 7.3% year-over-year to 3.5 billion euros.

SINGAPORE – Surface Mount Technology (Holdings) Ltd. reported second-quarter revenue of HK$432.1 million, down 43.1% year-over-year.

The firm took a loss of HK$12.6 million, compared to a loss of HK$6.8 million in the same period last year.

For the six months ended Sept. 30, revenue was HK$867.4 million, down 47% compared to the same period in 2008.

For the period, the firm lost HK$29 million, compared to a loss of HK$11.6 million last year.

The business outlook remains positive with longer order forecasts extending into 2010, SMT says.

HK$1 = US$0.129

MANKATO, MN – Winland Electronics Inc. reported third-quarter net sales of $5.1 million, down 26.9% year-over-year.

The firm reported a net loss of $695,000, versus a net profit of $118,000 for the third quarter of 2008.

EMS segment sales for the quarter totaled $4.2 million, down 30.1% year-over-year.

The segment recorded an operating loss of $332,000 in the period, versus an operating profit of $553,000 in the same period last year.

Net sales for the nine months ended Sept. 30 were $18 million, down 13.8% compared to the same period in 2008.

EMS net sales totaled $15.6 million, down 14% year-over-year.

The company reported an operating loss of $1.3 million in the first nine months, versus $1.1 million last year.

Winland’s EMS segment reported operating income of $100,000, compared to operating income of $630,000 reported a year ago.

Winland Electronics designs and manufactures custom electronic control products and systems.

TAMPA, FL -- The US Department of Defense has awarded a multi-year, $200 million contract to Sypris Electronics to build RASKL electronic key fill devices.

WESSELING, GERMANY -- Finetech has acquired Martin GmbH, a manufacturer of rework and dispensing equipment located here.

SCHAFFHAUSEN, SWITZERLAND – Tyco International Ltd. reported fourth-quarter revenue of $4.4 billion, down 16% year-over-year.

Income from continuing operations for the quarter was $207 million, down 22% year-over-year.

For the full year, revenue of $17.2 billion declined 15% compared to 2008.

"Our operating results for the fourth quarter reflect good progress in reducing our overall cost structure, while we continue to invest in the future growth of our businesses," said Ed Breen, Tyco chairman and CEO. "We generated strong cash flow in the quarter, effectively managed our working capital, and we finished the year in strong financial condition."

TAIPEI – Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai Precision Industry) reported unconsolidated revenues of $4.99 billion for October, up 8.49% sequentially.