Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : Disk Drive Sector Discussion Forum -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Robert Douglas who wrote (5219)	1/13/1999 10:35:00 AM
From: Sam	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 9256

WDC is thinking of closing one of their Singapore plants and moving to Malaysia because a $150 drive would cost $5 less to build there. What a great business DDs are. Think I'll borrow a few million to get into it. FC must be really really mad. Wednesday January 13, 12:34 am Eastern Time Western Digital reviewing S'pore operation SINGAPORE, Jan 13 (Reuters) - U.S. computer disk drive maker Western Digital Corp (WD) was reviewing its Singapore operations but had not made any decision on output, a company executive told Reuters on Wednesday. ''We are in the process of reviewing our operations. We have not made any final decision in any respect,'' vice-president Timothy Martin said. Martin was responding to reports of a possible closure of one of two Western Digital facilities here, but declined to elaborate further. The report said Western Digital could shut a US$12 million plant and shift high-end production to another facility, which could result in about 500 to 800 jobs being cut. The Business Times quoted sources as saying Western Digital's top management in the United States was meeting on the issue and would come to a decision next week. It was likely the company would move part of its desktop drive production to Malaysia, where costs were lower and a new cleanroom had just been built. A US$150 drive costs US$5 more to manufacture in Singapore than in Malaysia, the paper quoted industry observers as saying. WD made a loss of US$110.2 million in its first quarter ended September 1998, on the back of dwindling revenues of US$651 million, compared with US$1.1 billion a year ago. -- Singapore Newsroom (65) 870-3080; Fax: (65) 776-8112