May 16, 2006 – Cohu Inc. has sold the assets of its metal detection equipment business, FRL Inc., to First Texas Holdings Corp. for approximately $3.2 million in cash.
For the three years ended in Dec. 2005, the unit represented 3.5% of Cohu’s consolidated sales (about $19.4 million), and generated operating losses of $2.3 million. Sales and metal detection and microwave communications equipment contributed about 9% of sales in 2005, vs. 85% for semiconductor test handling systems, and 7% for TV cameras and related equipment.
The sale represents another among recent moves to tighten Cohu’s focus on its core semicondutor test areas. In March the company’s Delta Design subsidiary bought semiconductor burn-in products, IP, and other assets from Unisys Corp.’s Unigen operation for $8 million, to complement its Summit and ETC thermal test handling platforms. In recent weeks Cohu also has sold land and a facility in Littleton, MA, for $6.5 million in cash, to consolidate operations of Delta Desig.