San
Francisco, CA – April 27, 2005 – Fabrinet,
an engineering and electromechanical manufacturing services
company, announced its intention to purchase the JDS Uniphase
(NASDAQ: JDSU; and TSX: JDU) manufacturing facilities located
in Fuzhou, China. Under the terms of the arrangement, Fabrinet
will acquire all assets and operations related to the Fuzhou
plant including R&D and the manufacture of products such
as crystals and precision optics. Subject to final documentation
and customary closing conditions, the transfer to Fabrinet
is expected to be completed prior to June 30, 2005. Terms
of the agreement were not revealed.
The 225,000 square foot Fuzhou plant employs over 500 engineers, technicians, and skilled operators, all of whom are expected to transfer to Fabrinet and continue their employment at the site. Fabrinet intends to utilize the existing core management and technical expertise at the site to grow its optical component business in China and in other regions the company serves.
Fabrinet has been providing manufacturing services to JDS Uniphase since 2000. In December 2004, the company acquired JDS Uniphase manufacturing facilities in Singapore and Bintan, Indonesia. Earlier this month, JDS Uniphase announced its intent to divest manufacturing facilities in Ewing and Mountain Lakes, New Jersey to Fabrinet as part of broader cost-savings initiatives.
"Transferring ownership of our facility and operations in Fuzhou, China, to our contract manufacturing partner, Fabrinet, is part of our ongoing strategy to decrease cost structure for profitability while streamlining our portfolio along strategic core product lines to increase our corporate agility," said Minoo Zohouri, VP of global materials for JDS Uniphase.
"It is a natural evolution for Fabrinet to acquire
the JDS Uniphase operation in Fuzhou," commented Tom Mitchell,
founder and CEO of Fabrinet. "We have been manufacturing precision
optical components since our inception and have had a long,
successful relationship with JDS Uniphase. Expanding our Asian
operations to China, and growing our optical component manufacturing
operations in that market, will enable Fabrinet to provide
greater flexibility and support to our existing customers and
additional resources to attract new customers."
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements include any anticipations or expectations as to the likelihood or timing of completion of the transactions described in this release. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected, including, without limitation, the risk that the parties may not finalize transaction documentation or perform all actions, or satisfy all conditions, necessary to complete the transactions described in this release.
About JDS Uniphase
JDS Uniphase Corporation designs and manufactures products for markets where its core optics technologies provide innovative solutions for communications, commercial and consumer applications. The Company offers components, modules and subsystems for data communications, telecommunications and cable television, display, security, medical/environmental instrumentation, decorative, aerospace and defense applications. More information is available at www.jdsu.com.
About Fabrinet
Fabrinet is a manufacturing services company (EMS) specializing in the engineering and manufacture of complex optical, mechanical, and electronic components, modules, and subassemblies for a wide range of industries including communications, automotive & aeronautics, consumer electronics, and industrial sensing. Fabrinet utilizes manufacturing best practices to provide rigorous IP protection, a real-time internet tracking and information system, class 100 cleanrooms, and unmatched customer responsiveness. The company has received numerous quality and best supplier awards and has been named one of the Best Employers in Thailand for 2003 and 2005 by Hewitt Associates/Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration/ The Nation newspaper and has been nominated for the TCCC 9 th Annual Business Excellence Award in the category of Best Manufacturer. Fabrinet is ISO 9001:2000, 14001, and ISO/TS 16949:2002 certified. The company is based in Bangkok, Thailand with over 350,000 square feet of manufacturing and 3,600 employees, and maintains sales offices in the United States and Europe . For more information contact Mark Schwartz at 925-934-2048, mschwartz@fabrinet.com, or visit the website at www.fabrinet.com.
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