CHICAGO, Nov. 17 -- EMS merger and acquisition activity rose in the third quarter, according to an investment bank that tracks the sector.

There were 14 M&A deals finalized in Q3, reports Lincoln Partners, a Chicago-based investment bank. This exceeds the 13 deals completed in the June quarter and 12 in the March quarter.

It was the most third-quarter transactions since 2000, when 28 deals were completed, Lincoln Partners said. There were 10 deals done in Q3 2003.

Companies of over $3 billion in annual revenues accounted for half the completed transactions. The other half were conducted by firms with revenues under $400 million, Lincoln Partners said.

Among the major deals:

• Flextronics agreed to buy Nortel's manufacturing operations.
• Creation Technologies acquired EMS firm Second Source System.
• SigmaTron bought the remaining 57.5% of SMT Unlimited.
• Celestica sold its Power Syetems business.
• Neways Electronics acquired Stork Electronics.
• Flextronics purchased Sheldahl, a maker of flex laminate and PCBs.