GOLDEN, CO - Photo Stencil has opened an additional 35,200 sq. ft. manufacturing plant here for producing electroform and complex stencils. Full-scale manufacturing is expected to begin in the March quarter next year.

WASHINGTON — Worldwide semiconductor sales reached $78.5 billion on a 90-day moving average during the first quarter, the highest-ever first quarter mark.

MALMO, SWEDEN -- PartnerTech today named Stefan Hansson-Mutas acting president of its Electronics Technology division, effective immediately. He replaces Peter Nilsson, who is leaving the company.

JASPER, IN -- Kimball today reported net income at its EMS unit rose 6% to $6.85 million for its fiscal third quarter. Overall sales were up 3% to $310.8 million, and net income rose 96% to $7.2 million for the period ended March 31.

TORONTO -- SMTC today reported a 14% year-over-year drop in revenue, citing seasonality and severe winter weather affecting an industrial sector customer. The net loss for the March quarter was $1.1 million, an improvement over a $7.7 million loss in the fourth quarter but down from a profit of $1.17 million last year.

SAN MATEO, CA – Worldwide tablet plus 2-in-1 shipments were 50.4 million units in the first quarter of 2014, up 3.9% year-over-year, and down 35.7% sequentially, says IDC.

SAN JOSE – Flextronics reported fourth-quarter net sales were $6.7 billion, up 27% year-over-year, above previous guidance.

NEWARK, NY – Higher revenues helped lower the net loss at IEC Electronics, which reported second-quarter fiscal 2014 revenue of $34.8 million, up 3.3% year-over-year. The EMS firm posted a net loss of $569,000 for the period ended Mar. 28, compared to a net loss of $1.1 million in the same quarter last year.

HAWTHORNE, CA – OSI Systems reported fiscal third-quarter revenues ended Mar. 31 of $204 million, up 3% year-over-year.

BANNOCKBURN, IL — Total North American printed circuit board shipments increased 4.8% year-over-year in March, with year-to-date shipments down 0.8%, says IPC.

WASHINGTON -- A pair of Securities and Exchange Commission commissioners yesterday called for a halt on conflict minerals reporting, citing First Amendment concerns identified by a circuit court.

PALO ALTO, CA AND TAIPEI — HP and Foxconn today announced a joint venture agreement to create a new line of cloud-optimized servers specifically targeting service providers. The move marks the latest agreement between the computer OEM and one of its largest manufacturing partners.