RUWEL becomes a part of the world’s largest PCB manufacturer

Citation

(2012), "RUWEL becomes a part of the world’s largest PCB manufacturer", Circuit World, Vol. 38 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/cw.2012.21738aaa.003

RUWEL becomes a part of the world’s largest PCB manufacturer

Article Type: Industry news From: Circuit World, Volume 38, Issue 1

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 all the shares of the financial investor BlueBay changed to Unimicron, so that the world market leader has become the sole owner of Europe’s longest established PCB manufacturer.

Lucien Orlovius, Chairman of the Supervisory Board at RUWEL, will remain in office, and the management board composition of Thomas Wittig and Jos van Kempen will remain unchanged.

RUWEL to manage High Reliability Business Unit (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, “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.