Plasma etch, deposition and thermal processing equipment maker SPTS Technologies Ltd of Newport, Wales, UK (a Bridgepoint portfolio company) has won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade. The award recognizes the outstanding growth of the firm’s global business during the past three years. The judging panel also assessed SPTS’ relationships with employees, customers and suppliers, and its impact on the environment and society.
The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise were introduced in 1966 to acknowledge businesses with outstanding performance in three categories - International Trade, Innovation and Sustainable Development. The annual awards are open to any company operating in the UK and are announced annually on the Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday (21 April).
SPTS also manufactures in Allentown, PA, and San Jose, CA in the USA. In addition, it operates across 16 other countries in Europe and Asia, serving customers worldwide. SPTS exports more than 90% of its products from the UK.
“This is a testament to the continuous success we have achieved over the past few years,” comments executive VP & chief operating officer Kevin Crofton. “We export to many of the biggest names in the microelectronics industry, and our growth is further proof that UK-developed technologies and products are competitive on a global scale.”
The firm was formed in October 2009 as SPP Process Technology Systems Ltd (SPTS) by its then parent firm Sumitomo Precision Products Co Ltd (SPP) to merge predecessor firm Surface Technology Systems plc (STS) together with assets acquired from Aviza Technology Inc, including Newport-based single-wafer process equipment subsidiary Aviza Technology Ltd (ATL) and Aviza’s Scotts Valley-based Thermal Products business. Also, late 2010 saw the transfer of ownership from SPP to SPTS of Primaxx Inc of Allentown, PA, USA, which provides residue-free micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) dry etch release equipment. In August 2011, backed by European private equity firm Bridgepoint, the management of SPTS completed its buy-out from SPP, and renamed itself SPTS Technologies Ltd.
