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News

SALT LAKE CITY -- CirTran Corp., an electronics contract manufacturer, announced third-quarter net sales fell 27.2% year-over-year to $3 million, while the net loss was $2.9 million, including $2.65 million in non-cash charges.

For the period ended Sept. 30, sales were up 37% sequentially.

LAKE FOREST, CA -- EMS firm Probe Manufacturing Inc. today reported third-quarter revenues of $2.5 million, up 70% over the same period in 2005. Gross profits rose 90% to $612,578 for the period ended Sept. 30.

The net profit was $40,325, up from a loss of $217,844 last year.

MILPITAS, CA -- Does Solectron want to be bought? The top tier EMS firm on Tuesday eased a hypothetical takeover by a possible suitor by killing its stockholder rights plan, otherwise known as a "poison pill" defense.

In a statement Solectron chief executive Michael Cannon said the new policy "reflects the board's continuing commitment to corporate governance best practices."

BRUSSELS – Beginning Jan. 1, 2010, products sold in the European Union must be in metric units. The measure, by the European Union Council Directive 80/181/EEC, also known as the Metric Directive, bans use of any other measurements for most products sold in the EU.

ATLANTA – Product gone missing is a massive expense: some $24 billion in European distributors centers alone each year. Thus it is easy to grasp why supporters of active RFID are so high on its future.

If the hype at the Active RFID Summit last week in Atlanta is to believed, active RFID means unlimited potential and a $7 billion opportunity in the next 10 years.

TAMPA, FL -- Electronics manufacturing services provider Reptron Electronics has had discussions with certain parties regarding a potential privately negotiated purchase of its senior secured notes.

The company has retained Jefferies Broadview as financial advisor.

The discussions are onoing and no agreements have been reached, the company said.

SIOUX FALLS, SD -- Raven Industries reported third-quarter net sales rose 6% to $57.4 million and net income was relatively flat at $7 million for the period ended Oct. 31.

The company's Electronic Systems division reported record quarterly revenues and strong incremental profitability.

SAN JOSE -- Sanmina-SCI Corp.'s fourth-quarter sales fell 2% to $2.77 billion versus last year, the company said last night. The company provided preliminary results but did not release full results due to an ongoing restatement of past financial reports, It said it expects to post between a penny-per-share loss and profit of 1 cent per share, excluding one-time items.

For the year, sales fell 6% to $10.96 billion.

On a conference call with analysts, Sanmina guided for first-quarter sales of $2.7 billion to $2.85 billion and for fiscal 2007 sales of $11.8 billion to $12.3 billion. The company forecast operating margins of 7 to 7.5%.

In a research note, Deutsche Bank analyst Carter Shoop called the fiscal 2007 guidance "bullish," adding, "We believe the low-end of guidance will prove difficult to achieve."

ATLANTA – ASYS Inc., the maker of automation equipment for electronics manufacturing, will represent Rehm Thermal System Solutions in Brazil. The representation includes sales and service, the company said in a press release.

ASYS maintains offices in Sao Paulo and Manaus, Brazil.

Germany-based Rehm provides reflow sytems, curring and drying ovens and customized thermal systems. IT has more than 1,800 reflow systems installed worldwide.

ASYS makes SMD board handlers, laser and label marking systems, depaneling systems and other equipment. It is also the parent company for EKRA.

TEMPE, AZ -- Finetech will offer Technical Product Trade's wire bonders in North America, the company said today. No financial details were disclosed.

Wessling, Germany based TPT makes benchtop manual and semiautomatic wire bonders.

PALO ALTO, CA -- H-P reported fourth-quarter net income of $1.7 billion, up fourfold from last year, on a sales jump of 7% to $24.6 billion. Demand was strong for PCs, printers, the company said.

The news was tempered by revelations that the Securities and Exchange Commission has launched a formal inquiry into the company's "pretexting" investigation, in which members of the H-P board reportedly authorized the gathering of information on other board members and company employees. It was later revealed that illegal means were used to gain the information.

Excluding one-time items, H-P said it would have earned $1.9 billion. Last year's results included $1.57 billion in restructuring charges.

SAN JOSE – Demand for semiconductor devices will continue unabated through 2009, Semiconductor Industry Association said yesterday in a Webcast annoucning its annual forecast.

A strong wave of consumer demand for electronic products will push sales to $321 billion in 2009, a compound annual growth rate of 9%. Total worldwide sales were $227.5 billion last year.