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SURFACE TECH TO OPEN AUSTRALIAN MARKET

IRVINE – Surface Tech Inc. has inked a licensing agreement to have the company’s  first alloy wheel repair technicians in Australia.

The company's patented wheel repair technology is now being introduced in Sydney, Australia. There are plans for 20 mobile trucks in Sydney and Melbourne in the next 12-18 months. These mobile units will provide the foundation for the introduction of the company's other high demand product services in Australia.

Surface Tech has a patented method to resurface alloy wheels without removing them from the car [Patent 6,347,444].

The company's licensed technicians provide cost-saving solutions for more than 4,000 automobile dealerships, auto auctions and car rental companies including Avis, Hertz, Enterprise, National, Budget and Alamo. 

The company started licensing its process in 1998 and with its employees and licensed technicians billed more than $1 million in 2001, $2 million in 2002 and should have approximately $7 million in gross billings in 2003. Surface Tech plans to double its billings again by the end of 2004.

In addition to its new operation in Australia, Surface Tech has more than 100 licensed techs in more than 250 cities in 32 states in the US and four provinces in Canada.

BAXTER BIOSCIENCE TO REDUCE SOUTHLAND OPERATIONS

WESTLAKE VILLAGE - Baxter BioScience has said it will reduce its annual plasma production from 4.6 million liters to 4 million liters, responding to sharp declines in blood plasma pricing.

The company’s parent, Baxter International of Deerfield, Illinois, recently announced it plans to cut 2,500 jobs, or about 5% of its total work force and close 26 plasma collection plants and one plasma manufacturing plant in Michigan.

A spokesperson said no job cuts are planned at the East Ventura County facility “at this time.”

Earlier this year, the parent company took a $200 million charge related to job cuts and facility closings, bringing its expected second quarter earnings to about 11 cents per share, down from the 41 cents per share predicted.

For the year, earnings are expected to be about $1.70 per share, compared to an earlier estimate of about $2.15 per share. Baxter International had sales of $8.1 billion last year, with $3.1 billion from Baxter Bioscience operations.

TECH TOOL MAKERS EXPECT GROWTH

NEW YORK – Manufacturers of the tools used to build, test and assemble microchips expect sales to grow 4% this year to $20.52 billion, with growth in Japan and Korea expected to overcome decreasing sales in the US and Taiwan.

According to a recent industry survey of chip equipment vendors released by Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI), there is “renewed optimism for the industry with chip makers spending about half of what they did just a few years ago on equipment.”

For 2004, the survey showed companies expected sales to rise 24% to $25.42 billion, with the cycle of growth ending in 2006.

Survey participants represent more than half of the business generated by the semiconductor capital equipment industry.

The industry is showing signs of emerging from a three-year slump. Sales of chip-making tools in Korea, home of giant computer memory maker Samsung Electronics, is expected to grow 38% this year to $2.31 billion, with 10% growth to $4.28 billion expected in Japan.

In North America – home of the world's largest chip maker, Santa Clara, California-based Intel Corp. – sales are expected to dip 5.1% this year to $5.61 billion, still the largest market overall.  

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