Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Chip maker Semilab restructures U.S. operations

By Rodney H. Brown

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Hungarian chip metrology company Semilab Ltd. has combined its three Massachusetts operations into one facility in Billerica and made it the company’s U.S. headquarters under the name Semilab USA.

Tapped for the role of president and CEO of Semilab USA is the man who holds the same titles at one of those three Bay State units, Chris Moore, who has been running Semilab AMS since the Hungarian parent acquired Natick-based Advanced Metrology Systems LLC in March. Around the same time, Semilab bought QC Solutions Inc. of Billerica, and the two companies, along with a local sales office, have moved in together.

In addition to having a new combined U.S. operating company, Semilab has also bought a Tampa, Fla.-based metrology company, Semiconductor Diagnostics Inc. With the newly named Semilab SDI LLC in Tampa, Semilab USA now has six operating units, including the three in Massachusetts, Semilab SSM in Pittsburgh and another sales office in California.

Semilab USA has 57 employees, with about 21 in Massachusetts, according to Moore. Semilab, founded in 1990, makes technology used to measure primarily materials used in the manufacturing of chips. It serves three major customer areas — academic and institutional research, semiconductor manufacturers and photovoltaic and solar cell manufacturers.

Right now, the chip market is very tight, Moore says, because of lower demand for electronics due to the worldwide recession. So Semilab’s largest customer segment is the PV market, and the company has a number of large manufacturers as clients, including one here in Massachusetts that Moore declined to name.

The company may not be done buying metrology companies to incorporate into Semilab USA, Moore said. “We are quite financially stable so we have the luxury of being able to buy in what is a buyer’s market,” Moore said. “I am not working on an active deal right this minute however.”