Heller had strong growth in Asia in 2012, combined with the Smartphone and Tablet explosion for a record setting year! Our 3 factories (China, Korea and Malaysia) were running near peak capacity and we expanded our Applications Labs in Korea and China to better support the needs of our customers.
The year was topped off with the Frost and Sullivan Customer Value Enhancement award. This award was the result of our work on Energy Management Software that provides SMART features to reduce energy consumption both while the oven is running and also when idle.
For 2013 we expect a moderate start with a build-up through Q3 & Q4. From a corporate standpoint, we will continue to drive the technology and further expand on our concept of "Glocalization". That is, to be a large Global organization with a strong local presence. As such, 2013 will be a huge expansion year for us that will see the construction of a new factory in Asia, the release of 2 new products for SMT and 3 new products in the Semicon segment. Additionally, there will be major headcount increases in the Engineering Design Group and Customer Support.
Our customers will continue to drive for higher throughput, smaller footprint and lower cost of ownership (as they should!) and we will continue to partner with our customers to provide applications solutions and develop new technologies to propel them to positions of leadership in their respective industries. We thank our customers for their strong support and the feeling of cooperation and teamwork we have together and look forward to a prosperous 2013 and beyond!
