Kulicke & Soffa Acquires Assembléon Expanding Advanced Packaging Portfolio and Served Market Opportunities

Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ: KLIC) ("Kulicke & Soffa", "K&S" or the "Company") today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a 100% equity stake of Assembléon B.V., in an all cash transaction for $98 million. Assembléon is a leading technology solutions provider that offers assembly equipment, processes and services for the automotive, industrial, and advanced packaging markets. Bruno Guilmart, Kulicke & Soffa's President and Chief Executive Officer, remarked, “We are extremely pleased to welcome Assembléon and its talented employees into the K&S family. Assembléon's existing solutions and technological competencies present a very attractive strategic opportunity and further extend our ability to capitalize on the advanced packaging market. Assembléon brings a deep-rooted history of innovation, a portfolio of solutions with industry leading process capabilities and meaningful participation in the automotive and industrial markets serving a strong base of leading customers. Our corporate cultures of technology and market leadership serve complementary core businesses and increase our collective presence in high-growth markets.” Jeroen de Groot, Assembléon's Chief Executive Officer, stated, “Assembléon is looking forward to leveraging Kulicke & Soffa's extensive sales, distribution and service network; strong customer relationships; and proven interconnect expertise to grow the advanced packaging business. The Company's robust fundamentals will serve as a catalyst to accelerate our product development and further enhance our service offerings. This is a winning proposition for both companies and sets the stage for significant developments in the semiconductor packaging sector.” Assembléon's calendar 2014 revenue is currently anticipated to be approximately $90 million. Kulicke & Soffa intends to close this acquisition by January 15, 2015 and expects the transaction to be accretive within the first year.