Unimicron hands over management of Chinese plant to German subsidiary RUWEL becomes a part of the world’s largest printed circuit board manufacturer

Citation

(2011), "Unimicron hands over management of Chinese plant to German subsidiary RUWEL becomes a part of the world’s largest printed circuit board manufacturer", Circuit World, Vol. 37 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/cw.2011.21737dab.004

Unimicron hands over management of Chinese plant to German subsidiary RUWEL becomes a part of the world’s largest printed circuit board manufacturer

Article Type: Industry news From: Circuit World, Volume 37, Issue 4

Almost two years after the world’s largest PCB manufacturer Unimicron with head office in Taiwan acquired a 35 percent share in RUWEL International GmbH as strategic investor, the industry leader is now substantially expanding its involvement. At the end of July – subject to the expected approval by the cartel authority – all the shares of the financial investor BlueBay will change to Unimicron, so that the world market leader will then be the sole owner of Europe’s longest established PCB manufacturer.

Unimicron President David Lee met BlueBay Manager Lucien Orlovius in Düsseldorf recently to sign contracts. BlueBay had acquired a majority share in RUWEL as financial investor at the end of the economic crisis and now, after almost two successful years with RUWEL, considers the time is right to sell its shares.

Orlovius, Chairman of the Supervisory Board at RUWEL, will remain in office at the wish of Unimicron thanks to the very good cooperation, even without being a shareholder in future. In the same way, the tried and tested management board composition of Thomas Wittig and Jos van Kempen will remain unchanged.

RUWEL to manage HRBU

Almost two years after acquiring a share of RUWEL International, the world’s largest PCB manufacturer Unimicron is relying on the technological know-how, the quality and the sound market knowledge of the long-standing European PCB pioneer and is now integrating the company completely into its group, which also includes 14 further Asian production establishments with a workforce of well over 20,000. Last year, Unimicron once again confirmed its world leader position with sales of just under US$2.2 billion. By comparison with this, RUWEL with a core workforce of 225 and annual sales of €51 million appears a comparatively small member of the Unimicron family.

However, that RUWEL is an important part of the group became clear already six months ago when Unimicron established a new business division, “High Reliability Business Unit” (HRBU), for products that must satisfy top reliability requirements. RUWEL and the modern Unimicron plant Kunshan 1 were joined together in this. It had originally been planned to include the Kunshan 3 plant currently under construction in the HRBU. However, demand from Europe for highly reliable PCBs from the new business division was so swift that a decision was taken to enlarge capacities at the Kunshan 1 plant which was already operating.

Customers greatly welcomed this, as the step avoids renewed outlay for qualification. Unimicron has placed the entire HRBU including the Chinese plant under the RUWEL management in Geldern. The HRBU is attached directly to the Chairman of the Management Board T.J. Tseng and President David Lee.

The new HRBU is to assume a special role in the Unimicron family especially as regards quality. It will be responsible for the manufacture of and business with PCBs for applications that must satisfy particularly high demands regarding reliability. The HRBU supplies products and services primarily to the automotive industry (e.g. ESP, airbag, ABS, distance control, engine management and much more besides), industrial technology (such as inverter rectifiers for photovoltaic facilities, controls for lifting equipment, transport systems, crane systems, machinery controls, etc.) and medical technology on which human lives and our health depend daily.

The goal itself and the targets set are high. With particularly qualified staff, HRBU wants to excel vis-à-vis customers as well as supply partners through exceptional reliability and innovative capacity covering all aspects of PCBs.