Catcher Technology Co (可成科技), which supplies metal casings for HTC products and Apple Inc’s iPhones, yesterday said it expects strong sales growth in the second half of the year, thanks to increased orders for smartphones and tablets.
“Thanks to an increased number of clients, Catcher does not need to worry about declining notebook shipments,” chairman Allen Hung (洪水樹) said at the company’s annual general meeting in Greater Tainan.
The company is developing new casings made of carbon fiber or glass fiber to meet customers’ needs, Hung told shareholders.
Sales of casings made from glass fiber or carbon fiber are expected to account for less than 10 percent of Catcher’s total sales this year, but the proportion is likely to increase annually as the company adopts advanced technologies to accelerate the manufacturing process, Hung said.
To meet rising demand, Catcher plans to purchase an additional 2,000 computer numerical control (CNC) machines by the end of this month, he said.
CAPACITY
The new machines will help expand the company’s capacity in the second half of the year, Hung said.
By the end of this month, Catcher’s total number of CNC machines will reach 16,000 units, he added.
“The utilization rate is also expected to rise to more than 90 percent starting from next quarter, from 80 percent this quarter,” Hung said.
“The company expects to see sales grow significantly during the second half of the year,” he added.
Catcher’s shareholders yesterday approved the company’s proposal to distribute NT$6 in cash dividends per common share last year’s earnings.
The company’s net profit last year grew 2 percent to NT$10.89 billion (US$365.2 million) — the highest level in the company’s history — with earnings per share of NT$14.51.
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