SMTC Corporation (Nasdaq: SMTX, TSX: SMX) ("SMTC"), a global electronics manufacturing
services provider, announced today a strategic relationship with FEI
Company (Nasdaq:FEIC) (FEI).
FEI is a premier provider of electron and ion-beam microscopes and tools for
nanoscale applications across many industries: industrial and academic materials
research, life sciences, semiconductors, data storage, natural resources and
more. With a 60-year history of technological innovation and leadership, FEI has
set the performance standard in transmission electron microscopes (TEM),
scanning electron microscopes (SEM) and DualBeams(TM), which combine a SEM with
a focused ion beam (FIB) technologies.
SMTC will manufacture integrated control cabinets for FEI's Titan(TM)
Transmission Electron Microscopes leveraging the internal precision sheet metal
fabrication, printed circuit board assembly and cable harness assembly
capabilities of its Chihuahua, Mexico campus. The low-cost North American
operation provides best-in-class technical support and manufacture capabilities
for low to medium volume, high complexity system integration and test solutions
for industrial capital equipment, life science instrumentation and
telecommunication applications.
"The relationship with SMTC is part of our strategy to leverage low-cost
region supply chain partners," said Gijs Oude Elberink, Sr Director Global
Sourcing for FEI. "This partnership is also key to our "Green Back" program,
which is our initiative to selectively increase our supplier spend in US dollars
to offset the variability of the Euro. It is our intention to expand this
promising relationship with SMTC as part of our Green Back initiatives and as
part of our supply chain strategy in supporting the strong demand for our
products."
"We are excited about the opportunity to be part of the FEI's longer term
supply chain strategy to capitalize on SMTC's expanded high quality large scale
system integration and metal fabrication capability within our highly
competitive Chihuahua Mexico facility and to offer US denominated pricing to
allow FEI to reduce its currency exposure" stated John Caldwell, President and
Chief Executive Officer of SMTC. "We are delighted to be selected by FEI and
look forward to supporting its growth".
Source: http://www.smtc.com/