TORONTO – Celestica said it has agreed to acquire the semiconductor equipment contract manufacturing operations of Brooks Automation for approximately $80 million.

Brooks Automation specializes in manufacturing mechanical equipment and providing systems integration services for semiconductor equipment manufacturers. Capabilities include the production of equipment frontend modules for wafer handling and transportation, vacuum transfer modules and sub-systems for semiconductor capital equipment OEMs.

The business generated revenue of approximately $135 million for the six months ended Mar. 31, and currently employs approximately 450 people.

The purchase will be financed from either Celestica’s credit facility or from cash on hand. The closing date is anticipated to be in the second quarter. The operations' senior management team and employees will join Celestica upon completion of the agreement.

No other financial terms of the agreement were disclosed.

ANSEONG, SOUTH KOREA – MIRTEC plans to break ground on a 100,000 sq. ft. manufacturing space here in June. The facility will be completed in October or November of this year, MIRTEC North America president Brian D’Amico told CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY last week. The firm currently rents a building at the site.

Last year, the inspection systems firm pulled in $49 million in revenue, up from $25 million in 2009. Employees now number 230, with 110 hired in the past year. R&D personnel currently stand at 70 to address new markets.

MIRTEC currently has does 43% of its business in Asia, a high-speed, low-mix market, says D’Amico. The US is the company’s other main market, with a high-mix, low-volume focus. “We can address both, which is why we’ve grown,” he says.

In the first quarter of 2011, the US market grew 55%. In the first quarter of 2012, the company expects to roll out a 2-D/3-D inspection product with a 15 megapixel camera with moiré technology, which will include four multi-frequency probes.

HAVERHILL, MA, -- Contract manufacturer Lightspeed MFG will open a dedicated prototype unit in this Boston suburb to meet growing demand for quickturn services.

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LAS VEGAS – A trio of Cisco engineers took home the US Best Paper honor at IPC Apex last week.

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