Acal's modest growth caused by softening in passives

“The UK market for passive and electromechanical components has been somewhat soft", Acal's CEO Tony Laughton told electronicsweekly. “The softness in the UK market is not in the high end. It is not because customers are moving offshore but that these products are increasingly moving up the value chain. With solid state and increasing integration of these sorts of functions there is less requirement for the components," Laughton told electronicsweekly. Apart from the weak passive and electromechanical segment Acal has addressed the higher tech segment including semiconductors, power, and RF and wireless products. Acal has added 20 new semiconductor dedicated FAEs in Italy and Germany with extra focus on Microchip's family. According to Loughton specialised semiconductors will account for 45 to 50 percent of the company's total sales within a few years time.