Celestica International Holdings Inc has decided to turn itself into a major contract manufacturing player. Earlier this year it acquired ICL Plc’s big Design to Distribution Ltd operation (CI No 3,074) and is now snapping up one of a growing number of unconsidered trifles among Hewlett-Packard Co’s manufacturing assets (CI No 3,137). It is paying a reported $72m to $80m for HP’s Fort Collins, Colorado printed circuit board-stuffing operation. The plant has throughput of $300m a year, with assets of $100m and 600 employees. Celestica is already doing as much as $2.6bn a year; the assembly plant is to be expanded within two years to become a technology center and hub for the US Northwest.
