MILTON, NY -- Sono-Tek's August quarter sales rose 13% year-over-year to $1.61 million but the company swung to a net loss of $177,000.

For the period ended Aug. 31,  the Company reversed its previous year's profits of $12,000, citing increased spending on technical and market developments for a new business development program.

Chairman and CEO Dr. Christopher L. Coccio attributed the increase to the new business development program, and noted that the sales increase was based on products such as the Exactacoat and Flexicoat, which serve the new solar and fuel cell markets, WideTrack systems for new glass customers and our first textile finishing system, and the new line of SonoDry ultrasonic spray dryers for the pharmaceutical and nanotechnology industries.

SAN JOSE -- North American manufacturers of semiconductor equipment booked $754 million in orders in September 2008 on a three-month average basis, down 13% from revised August figures and off 39% year-over-year.

The book-to-bill ratio was 0.76, meaning $76 worth of orders were received for every $100 of product billed for the month, SEMI said.

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NASHVILLE -- Sean McShefferty, a veteran of more than 20 years in electronics manufacturing and North American electronics sales manager at Kyzen, died Oct. 12 following a long battle with cancer.

In a statement, Kyzen vice president Tom Forsythe said, “It is with deep sorrow that we received word of Sean McShefferty’s passing. Sean has battled stomach cancer for nearly two years and until quite recently had remarkably maintained a near-normal schedule, not only managing to continue with his duties at Kyzen but also being active at his church, in outreach programs for cancer awareness, as well as supporting other cancer patients and survivors.

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