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ELK GROVE VILLAGE, IL, Sept. 9 -- SigmaTron International today reported first-quarter 2005 revenues of $25.1 million, up 1% from last year.

Net profit fell 18%, to $1 million, for the quarter ended July 31.

During the quarter the company ramped production in China. In a press release, president and CEO Gary Fairhead said near-term results "will be negatively impacted by investment in China." He said China should show positive operating results in fiscal 2005.

Las Vegas operations were slow which the company attributed to normal seasonality. Mexico operations were busy, and Fairhead said the company has seen "renewed interest in Mexico as opposed to China."

SINGAPORE, Sept. 10 -- Singapore Technologies Engineering has purchased a 21.35% stake in ECS Holdings from Solectron for S$25 million in cash.

Solectron, which owned 23.5% of ECS, sold the remaining 2.15% to an undiclosed group.

ECS officials said the deal shouldn't have negative repercussions for ECS, which doesn't distribute Solectron products.

In a press statement issued jointly by ECS and ST Electronics, the companies said the investment isn't expected to have a material impact on earnings in 2004.

ST Electronics designs and develops electronics systems mainly for industrial use. ECS provides IT services and sells software and hardware.

Kester (kester.com) will hold a lead-free mini-clinic at its booth during the ATE Show in Chicago on Sept. 28-30. Peter Biocca, senior market development engineer for lead-free implementation, and Gary Nicholls, Kester University administrator, will be on hand to answer future lead-free users' questions.

Kester's line of lead-free products will be on exhibit, and information on the Kester University lead-free training program will also be available.

Visitors are encouraged to bring their boards, components or soldered assemblies to discuss lead-free transition issues.

SCOTTSDALE, AZ, Sept. 9 - Advanced Systems Consultants (mpcps.com) is offering a three-day course on Machine and Process Capability Analysis and Improvement on November 8-10 at its Scottsdale facility. Mario Perez-Wilson, one of the original architects of Six Sigma, will teach participants practical methodology for efficiently characterizing, optimizing and controlling machines and processes.

The application-oriented course will focus on improving processes by maximizing yields, reducing scrap, minimizing defective rates and increasing the efficiency of manufacturing. Process delineation, metrology characterization, capability determination, optimization and control will be covered in-depth.

Perez-Wilson has over 23 years of industrial experience in engineering, quality and process improvement and is the author of nine books. He has served at the executive level as corporate vice president of quality for Flextronics International.

FRANKLIN, MA, Sept. 7-- Speedline Technologies Inc. (speedlinetech.com) reported second quarter sales up 61% over the same period last year. Bookings also rose, growing 85% over Q1 2003. At the end of the period, the business backlog was 3.5 times higher than at the same time last year.

"We saw continuation of the rigorous market recovery in electronics manufacturing that started in the first quarter," said Pierre de Villemejane, Speedline's president. "Cell phone and computer production was exceptionally strong, driving higher spending for capital equipment to expand capacity."

For the first half of 2004, sales were up 52% over the same period last year, while bookings climbed 69%.

de Villemajane indicated that sales were strong across all geographic regions: "In the Americas, electronics capital spending was expansion-driven, and our large contract electronic manufacturing customers invested heavily in new equipment. Mexico and Brazil also exhibited particularly strong signs of recovery."

According to de Villemejane, Hungary has emerged as the fastest growing European market. The expansion of lead-free processing is also driving growth in the U.K., Poland, Czech Republic and Turkey. Speedline's fastest growing Asian markets are China and Thailand.

NEENAH, WI, Sept. 2 -- Plexus Corp. will take over complete PCB assembly for Fluke Precision Measurement products, the companies said today.

In a statement, Fluke said it is consolidating its base of EMS providers. Plexus may in the future take over new product introduction, including design, prototyping and test.