SINGAPORE – Electronics manufacturing company AEM Holdings has launched a S$99.7 million (US$75.2 million) bid for contract manufacturer CEI. AEM plans to delist CEI from the Singapore Exchange and take it private.

WASHINGTON – The US Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy announced approximately $123.6 million in new funding, as well as $44.7 million of cost share, for 46 projects in 23 states to stimulate technology innovation, improve the energy productivity of American manufacturing, and enable the manufacturing of cutting-edge products in the US.

PITTSBURGH – Intervala has signed a long-term lease finalizing the relocation of its corporate headquarters and EMS manufacturing operation in Westmoreland County, PA.

HAUPPAUGE, NY – Orbit International’s Electronics Group reported fourth quarter orders in excess of $3 million. Deliveries for certain of these orders have already commenced and are expected to continue through the second quarter of 2022.

FRAMINGHAM, MA – The fourth quarter saw global shipments of PCs grow 26.1% year-over-year to 91.6 million units, according to International Data Corp. With the pandemic still in full swing, traditional PCs (inclusive of desktops, notebooks, and workstations) were once again an in-demand consumer technology.

Williamsport, PA – Acquisitions continue unabated in the EMS industry, with Primus Technologies the latest firm to be snatched up, according to CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY sources. Financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.

JOHOR BAHRU, MALAYSIA – EMS company ATA IMS temporarily shut down operations of all its factories here because of Covid-19 cases. The shutdown was in effect from Dec. 31 through Jan 7. Operations will resume Jan 8.

WESTWOOD, MA – Chase Corp. reported fiscal first quarter revenue in the adhesives, sealants and additives segment was $30.1 million, up 16.5% year-over-year.

SAN JOSE – EMS firm Naprotek has been purchased by Edgewater Capital Partners for an undisclosed sum.

SAN JOSE, CA -- Sanmina announced that Hari Pillai has rejoined the company as president of Components Technology, the company's printed circuit board and mechanical systems business unit.

TAIPEI – Global smartphone sales will gradually recover in 2021 and will likely see a relatively strong wave of device replacement demand, as well as demand growth in the emerging markets, new market research says. Assuming these conditions materialize, says TrendForce, the report author, the annual global smartphone production for 2021 is forecasted to increase 9% to 1.36 billion units.

TAIPEI – Coming off a record year, global notebook shipments will grow another 8.6% year-over-year to 217 million units in 2021, TrendForce predicts. The increasing popularity of distance education has galvanized demand for Chromebooks, which contributed substantially to the growth of the overall market. Chromebooks accounted for 14.8% of global notebook shipments in 2020, a rate expected to rise to 18.5% in 2021.