U.S. manufacturers are surprisingly upbeat about their prospects in 2020, anticipating growth in revenue, profitability, imports and exports. The outlook isn’t so positive for employment and capital expenditures, which will remain flat or decline next year, according to the Institute for Supply Management’s semiannual forecast. Manufacturers expect revenue will grow 4.8 percent next year –…
WPG Holdings Co.’s bid to acquire a 30 percent stake in rival distributor WT Microelectronics Co. is meeting resistance from WT Micro executives and workers. During a late November media briefing in Taiwan, WT Micro vowed to resist the takeover. WT Microelectronics will never relinquish control of the company’s operations but will safeguard the interests…
The U.S. manufacturing index contracted for the fourth straight month in November — just as the Trump administration resurrected steel and aluminum tariffs on Argentina and Brazil. Global trade issues, according to the Institute for Supply Management, remain the top cross-industry concern for America’s manufacturers as the year ends. The ISM’s PMI dropped by 0.2…
Non-profit advocacy group Women in Electronics (WE) was formed in 2017 to empower women through networking opportunities; develop them through a virtual leadership program; and celebrate their successes along the way. The organization recently wrapped up its third annual leadership conference and now has 300 members. Jackie Mattox, founder and president of WE and national…
The U.S. Department of Commerce has again extended the temporary general license (TGL) allowing U.S. tech companies – such as Intel, Micron, Qualcomm and Xilinx — to sell components to Chinese networking giant Huawei Technologies. This is the third such extension since the U.S. government, citing security concerns, added Huawei to its “Entity List” in…
Supplier realignment always causes stress in the electronics supply chain — but the past six weeks has moved the needle to “anxiety.” In early October, chip maker Texas Instruments announced it was dropping six of its distributors — including Avnet Inc., WPG and WT Microelectronics — by the end of 2020. Within the past week…
Consolidation in the electronics supply chain continued this week as global broadline distributor WPG Holdings Co. announced plans to acquire a 30 percent stake in rival WT Microelectronics Co. Ltd. for US$266.58 million. WT Micro conducts most of its business in Southeast Asia. The announcement came within a day of two key electronics suppliers –…
Yageo Corp. and Kemet Corp. today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Yageo will acquire all the outstanding shares of Kemet’s common stock for US$27.20 per share in an all-cash transaction valued at US $1.8 billion, including the assumption of net debt. The move will combine two powers in the…
Global procurement professionals are facing more challenges than ever — tariffs, trade wars, environmental regulations and patent/IP protection. Fortunately, they are up to the task. Worldwide, electronics purchasing managers have an average of 16 years on the job, according to EPSNews’/Aspencore’s first global procurement study. They work more than 40 hours a week; spend a…
U.S. factory activity contracted for the third straight month in October as trade issues, the GM strike and global economic uncertainty plagued the market. The Institute for Supply Management’s manufacturing index registered 48.3 last month, up slightly from a 10-year low of 47.8 in September. New orders, employment and inventories all rose from September but…