Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Texas Instruments Sees Major Damage at Japanese Factory

Dallas-based Texas Instruments said Monday that it has seen "substantial damage" at its manufacturing site in Miho, Japan, about 40 miles northeast of Tokyo, due to the 8.9 magnitude earthquake Friday. The Miho plant produced about 10 percent of TI's revenues in 2010. TI estimated that the plant would not return to production until May with several lines, with full production in mid-July. TI said that timeline was dependent on the stability of the region's power grid, or further complications. TI said it has shifted about 60 percent of its wafer production to alternative plants, and has teams in Miho, Hiji, Dallas and Malaysia on the ground and working on recovery of the factory.