Acquisitions

Natel takes a long-term view of its market and regularly seeks opportunities to innovate and improve. The company's strategic acquisitions include:

• In 1992, Natel acquired the Power Microelectronics division of Semtech Corporation, which augmented Natel's power hybrid manufacturing capability.
• In 1994, Natel acquired the Powercube division of Unitrode Corporation. This acquisition gave Natel a presence in the large industrial and commercial power supply and DC-to-DC converter market. These products are marketed under the trade name Powercube.
• In 2003, Natel acquired the assets of Scrantom Engineering, Inc., of Costa Mesa, California, a Solectron company.. The addition of LTCC capability to our portfolio of products and services will enable NATEL to address additional opportunities where this three-dimensional ceramic substrate technology is uniquely suited.
• In 2005, Natel acquired Hytek Microsystems Inc. of Carson, NV. Hytek was founded in 1974 and is a manufacturer of microelectronic assemblies, serving the defense, aerospace, medical and Hi-Rel commercial markets. Hytek holds and maintains AS9100 and MIL-PRF 38534 (DSCC) Class H and K Certifications. Through this merger, Natel expands its market share of the multi-chip module / hybrid circuit business, bringing added expertise, engineering capabilities and a strong management team into its fold to better serve its clientele.
• In order to further strengthen it's broad offering of Substrate / Hybrid / MCM / RF / Microwave manufacturing products and services, Natel has acquired Thin Film Concepts. This recent acquisition fills the only remaining gap in our extensive line of electronic assembly products and services. Natel will continue to operate Thin Film Concepts out of its current location in Elmsford, NY. Headquartered in Elmsford, NY, Thin Film Concepts, Inc. specializes in thin film circuits and networks, custom coatings and custom fiber metallization across numerous applications and industries, including telecommunications, fiber optics, avionics, automotive, power management, and defense. Providing R&D and process development consulting services, Thin Film Concepts is an ISO 9002 company that also offers prototype and production-level manufacturing of components, including thin-film coating and sputtering services, component manufacturing, and optical fiber cable production.
• In 2007, Natel acquired Circuits Processing Technology, Inc. (CPT) from Zentrix Technologies Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Brush Engineered Materials Inc. CPT was started in 1983 in the business of custom thick film substrates for the medical, aerospace / military and commercial marketplace. In 1990, CPT developed the “ECP” process, which enabled CPT to be the first thick film manufacturer to build high frequency substrates with line width and space of .001” and frequencies up to 100 GHz. Today CPT is considered the leader in passive element integration onto the substrates they manufacture. They continue to develop new processes and materials for the electronics industry.
• Also in 2007, Natel acquired equipment and related assets associated with the manufacturing of certain microwave integrated circuits (MICs) from the Space and Airborne Systems (SAS) unit of Raytheon Company located in El Segundo, California. The MICs are used in SAS Tactical Radar and Electronic Warfare products. Concurrent with the acquisition, Natel and Raytheon entered into a long term exclusive supplier agreement for the MICs as well as a preferred supplier agreement for related MICs. The transaction is a positive development for both parties, with SAS divesting a non-core product and Natel strengthening its position as a RF/Microwave manufacturer.