News Release from: DEK
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial Team on 18 August 2003
Sales growth confirms global upturn
Sales figures from DEK's Asia-Pacific, European and American businesses show month on month growth in unit sales for the first half of 2003.
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DEK has welcomed sales figures from its Asia-Pacific, European and American businesses showing month on month growth in unit sales for the first half of 2003, and promising improvements in a market that has been plagued by sagging economics and gross overcapacity for an unprecedented period of time. "Activity levels are building worldwide", said Rich Heimsch, President of DEK International, "and we will be positioned to service this upswing while simultaneously safeguarding profitability". Whereas growth in Asia is in part due to the continued migration of high-volume assembly for consumer markets, the automotive electronics, NPI and prototyping, and ISM sectors are driving American and European sales.
"Having introduced new machines, process technologies and the Process Support Products division since 2000, we can deliver an entirely unique new level of process support to customers in each territory, whatever their production demands", added Heimsch.
In China and South East Asia, DEK sees overall market levels reminiscent of 1999 and is pleased with its share growth through the period.
Peland Koh, General Manager, DEK Asia, said: "There is strong growth in China, and post-SARS we notice that customers are keen to spread their manufacturing activities over a wider geographic area.
One of our strengths has been to maintain continuity in key aspects of the business, which has inspired confidence among our customers".
Mike Besant, European General Manager reported 25% higher machines bookings across the whole of Europe in the first two quarters compared to the same period last year.
"We are now seeing regular quarter-on-quarter gains, and because industry analysts report our position in Europe to be extremely solid, this is a good indication that overall conditions are improving", he said.
Success in Europe increasingly is about closeness to the customer, and keeping supply chains short.
These values are enshrined in our business model, and it is rewarding to see them now paying dividends so convincingly".
The work of the Applied Product Development group, based in the USA, has provided enabling technology for new area array packaging and advanced PCB processes.
"Our work with leading semiconductor packaging specialists is one example of the imminent rebirth of American electronics", said Craig Brown, General Manager at DEK USA.
"Also, by acquiring Acumen Technologies in 2002 we added an important dimension to our own business offering, and we are seeing the results.
It's a little too early to know for sure, but this could signal the high-tech resurgence we have been preparing for".
Commenting that DEK has aggressively pursued new technologies and processes even through the recent downturn as well as during the bull run to up 2000, Heimsch reasserted his confidence in the flat and focused business model that has enabled technology advancement under conditions that have forced others to retreat.
"We have been better suited to both develop and efficiently deliver specialist knowledge to a wider range of business partners, unencumbered by the inertia and conflicts of vertical integration", he said.
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