Solectron Corporation was an electronics manufacturing company for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). It was the first electronics manufacturing services (EMS) industry in 1977. Solectron's first customer designed and distributed an electronic controller for solar energy equipment. The name "Solectron" was a portmanteau of the words "solar" and "electronics". Solectron had sales of around $12 billion a year, and employed 70,000 people in 23 countries. The company was acquired by Flex on October 15, 2007. History Solectron was established in 1977 to provide outsourced manufacturing services to third parties. It was a major manufacturer, but you would have not found its name on any products. Solectron founders Roy Kusumoto and Prabhat Jain saw a growing number of electronics companies in California's Silicon Valley. There was a need to provide printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) services, handling the manufacturing overflow from OEMs. Solectron aimed to provide high-tech companies the ability for their products to be produced and delivered more quickly and efficiently than their competition, and believed that their customers needed a greater level of service for assembly and manufacture of printed circuit boards, cellular phones, along the entire product supply chain. Management succession Michael R. Cannon was named president and chief executive officer in January 2003. References External links 1977 establishments in California 2007 disestablishments in California 2007 mergers and acquisitions Companies formerly listed on the New York Stock Exchange Computer companies disestablished in 2007 Computer companies established in 1977 Defunct companies based in the San Francisco Bay Area Defunct computer companies of the United States Electronics companies disestablished in 2007 Electronics companies established in 1977 Electronics companies of the United States NCR Corporation Technology companies based in the San Francisco Bay Area Technology companies disestablished in 2007 Technology companies established in 1977