Asteelflash acquires Catalyst Manufacturing Services


French electronics manufacturing services (EMS) company Asteelflash has announced the acquisition of the American EMS company, Catalyst Manufacturing Services Inc., based on the East Coast of the United States and in Mexico.

Asteelflash is already established on the west coast of the United States, and this acquisition extends its presence in North America, adding three production sites in Owego (New York), Raleigh (North Carolina) and Tijuana (Mexico).

The acquisition of Catalyst Manufacturing Services 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.

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

"With the acquisition of Catalyst Manufacturing Services, Asteelflash will also gain a high-quality site in Tijuana, Mexico, which supports our growth plans for North America,” he continued. “With [operations in] 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.”

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

Headquartered in Paris, France, Asteelflash has 14 production sites on four continents (Europe, North Africa, North/Central America and Asia).