BATHGATE, SCOTLAND -- Plexus officially opened a previously announced design center and manufacturing facility here.

TAIPEI CITY -- Global Brands Manufacture forecast sales from automotive products to grow in the the double-digits over the next few years. The bare board manufacturer and printed circuit board assembler expects automotive revenues to reach about $140 million this year, more than 30% of the firm's total revenue.

ANGLETON, TX -- Suntron employees today confirmed the company is now part of Benchmark Electronics, which has remained tight-lipped about the acquisition.

WASHINGTON — Worldwide semiconductor sales reached $23.62 billion in April , down 1.8% year-over-year. Sales were up 60 basis points from March, the Semiconductor Industry Association added.

TAIPEI -- Hon Hai will spin  off its connector business into a separate entity come July, according to a Reuters report.

TOKYO -- A joint venture among Juki, Sony Corp., and Sony's placement equipment business unit have been formalized and will become operational Aug. 1.

MANASSAS, VA – Zestron announced its sixth installment of Zestron @cademy’s free cleaning webinar series.

SAN FRANCISCO -- The US is once again one of the largest and fastest growing regions of the world for semiconductor manufacturing.

SAN JOSE -- Fab equipment spending will grow 2% year-over-year ($32.5 billion) for 2013 and 23 to 27% in 2014 ($41 billion) according to the May edition of the SEMI World Fab Forecast.

ANGLETON, TX -- Benchmark Electronics has acquired Suntron for an as-yet undisclosed sum, according to an announcement to the latter's customers being circulated on Benchmark letterhead and dated June 3.

HOUSTON – BPM Microsystems has released a white paper explaining memory programming using device serialization.

MINDEN, NV – GE’s Measurement & Control business has opened a printed circuit board assembly center here to provide prototypes and testing.