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SAN JOSE, CA — EMS companies showed strong year-over-year first-quarter growth on the whole, says market research firm Gartner Inc.

Nine top EMS companies showed growth of 16% in the first quarter compared to 2006, according to the research firm.

SPOKANE, WA – EMS provider Key Tronic Corporation will begin providing product assembly for Imation Corp’s tape-based data storage cartridges in July.

The agreement is expected to contribute $20 million to Key Tronic’s annual revenue.

Assembly operations will take place in its primary manufacturing facility in Juarez, Mexico.

BANNOCKBURN, IL – IPC’s Executive Market & Technology Forum has issued requests for proposals for two new research studies.

One study will cover Microelectronics: The Future of Miniaturization and its Impact on Electronics Manufacturing; the second will address Geographic Strategies for Global Expansion in the Electronics Interconnect Industry: Where to Invest for Long-Term Business Growth.

Proposals are due by May 18; commissions will be announced in early June. IPC anticipates publishing the studies in September.

More information about IPC’s market research programs, including the Executive Market & Technology Forum, is available on the Market Research page at www.ipc.org.

MANKATO, MN – Winland Electronics, Inc., designer and manufacturer of custom electronic control products and systems, reported first-quarter revenues of $9.3 million.

This was an increase of 13.4% compared to $8.2 million reported for the same period last year. The increase was the result of a 16.4% increase in sales for OEM customers, partially offset by a 12.5% decrease in sales of the company's proprietary line of products.

Gross profit was $1.2 million, 13% of sales, down from $1.7 million in sales for the first quarter of 2006.

Total operating expenses increased 34.1% to $1.5 million when compared to $1.2 million year-over-year.

YAVNE, ISRAEL – Orbotech Ltd., maker of automated inspection systems for PCBs and flat panel displays, has cut its 2007 revenue outlook and posted a lower-than-expected first-quarter profit of $5.6 million, compared with earnings of $14.1 million year-over-year. The company cites the delay in pick up of the flat panel display market.

Revenue in the first quarter fell to $86.1 million from $101.4 million a year ago. The company now expects 2007 revenue of about $380 to $390 million, chief executive Rani Cohen said – $10 to $20 million less than previously projected. However, the company expects second-quarter revenue to increase slightly from the first quarter.

Sales of equipment to the PCB industry fell to $35.5 million from $40.8 million year-over-year, while sales of flat panel display inspection equipment slipped to $19.1 million from $30 million, said Orbotech.

JASPER, IN – Kimball International, Inc. announced sales for the third quarter of fiscal year 2007 were $311.6 million, an increase of 20% over sales of $260.7 million year-over-year. Sales included $79.2 million from acquisitions in the company's electronic contract assemblies segment. Sales in this segment increased 49% as a result of the acquisitions. On February 15, Kimball completed the acquisition of Reptron Electronics, Inc., a U.S.-based EMS company. The purchase price was $50.9 million.

Income for the third quarter was $3.8 million, which included a loss from discontinued operations of $600,000. For the same period last year, income was $7.3 million, including a loss from discontinued operations of $400,000.

Sales for the third quarter in the electronic contract assemblies segment were $165.3 million, an increase of 49% over sales of $111.1 million last year.