Asteelflash Acquires Catalyst Manufacturing Services

Asteelflash, one of the top 15 EMS (Electronics Manufacturing Services), which is present on four continents (Europe, North America, Asia, and North Africa), acquired Catalyst Manufacturing Services Inc., based on the East Coast of the United States and in Mexico.

The acquisition of Catalyst Manufacturing Services Inc. will also allow Asteelflash to strengthen its activities in segments that are already well established in the group, such as Mil/Aero, Medical and Industrial, while increasing its manufacturing capacity in North America. The three production plants are AS 9100 and NADCAP (aerospace) as well as ISO 13485 (medical) certified and support quality systems meeting the stringent requirements of customers operating in these industry segments.

With this acquisition, Asteelflash plans to extend its business development across the United States.

"The Owego and Raleigh production plants are strategic locations for the development of solid partnerships with our customers on the East Coast. We intend to  enhance our industrial manufacturing and engineering services, in particular by offering new product introduction (NPI) services on our North American customers' doorstep," explains Gilles Benhamou, president and CEO of Asteelflash.

"With the acquisition of Catalyst Manufacturing Services inc., Asteelflash will also gain a high-quality site in Tijuana, Mexico, which supports our growth plans for North America. With China, Tunisia and now Mexico, Asteelflash can offer optimized supply chain solutions for our customers, offering proximity in combination with (in-region) low cost manufacturing capabilities. We can offer our customers the optimal solution answering to their requirements such as flexibility, cost and time to market," Benhamou continues.

While further enhancing proximity to its customers, the group thus improves its competitiveness and responsiveness all over the world.

After posting revenues of $780 million in 2011, Asteelflash expects to top $900 million in 2012, of which more than $400 million in North America.

About Asteelflash
Headquartered in Paris, France, Asteelflash has 14 production sites on four continents (Europe, North Africa, North/Central America and Asia) and employs over 5,000 associates. The company was formed in 2008 by the merger of Asteel and Flash Electronics. With 2010 revenue of $663 million, Asteelflash is among the top 15 EMS (Electronics Manufacturing Service) companies worldwide. The company offers high quality EMS services through its Asteelflash Excellence System on a local, regional or global basis.