Broadex Technologies Co. Ltd. of China has agreed to purchase the UK operations of optical transceiver vendor Kaiam that went into receivership late last year (see "Kaiam explores alternatives as UK operations go into administration"). Broadex has formed a subsidiary, Broadex Technologies UK Ltd., for the purchase of Kaiam Europe Ltd. and Kaiam UK Ltd. (basically, the company’s operations in Livingston, Scotland) for $5.5 million. The fate of the rest of Kaiam remains undetermined (or at least unannounced).
Broadex and Kaiam announced a partnership in May 2018 through which the former would produce and market optical transceivers in the Chinese market based on Kaiam’s LightScale2 platform. Broadex also had supplied optical subassemblies to Kaiam prior to the announcement of the partnership.
Kaiam’s UK business was forced into receivership last December, an action which led to the closing of the Livingston facility and the laying off of more than 300 workers on Christmas Eve. Twenty workers will see their employment continue as a result of the Broadex acquisition, according to local press reports.
“We are excited to have the opportunity of acquiring this world class manufacturer and working with talented engineers to re-establish this place as a PLC powerhouse,” Broadex CEO Wei Zhu is quoted as saying. “This Livingston site has historically made significant contributions to the development of PLC technologies, and we intend to make this place the center of technological innovations again by new investment and adaption to new market conditions. We are committed to making this happen.”
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Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher
Stephen Hardy has covered fiber optics for more than 15 years, and communications and technology for more than 30 years. He is responsible for establishing and executing Lightwave's editorial strategy across its digital magazine, website, newsletters, research and other information products. He has won multiple awards for his writing.
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