CHawk Technology, the preferred global choice for precision components, subsystems and fully integrated assemblies supporting semiconductor and healthcare products, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony today for the opening of its new “GTI Vietnam” hub, a 51,000-square-foot facility with robotic plating lines and class 10k and class 100 cleanrooms.
CHawk, the parent of Gold Tech Industries (GTI), has manufacturing facilities in Singapore; Johor Bahru, Malaysia; Suzhou, China; and Hayward and Fremont Calif., in addition to an existing GTI operation in Tempe, Ariz. (GTI Tempe). With the addition of new GTI Vietnam hub, CHawk will leverage its strong Silicon Valley-based management team with decades of experience in the semiconductor industry to bring critical gold plating, ultra-high purity (UHP) stainless steel orbital welding and cleanroom manufacturing services closer to customers in Southeast Asia.
“Expanding our footprint in Southeast Asia brings us closer to our customers and regional supply chain, helping to reduce lead times, logistics and skilled labor costs,” said Chase Zunino, CEO of the CHawk Group of Companies. “We have made a substantial investment in acquiring the factory in Vietnam and increasing its capabilities with the addition of five new and automated gold plating lines and constructing cleanrooms for orbital welding and contract manufacturing work. We intend to reproduce the high-quality, high-value capabilities that we have established in the US and expand those to Southeast Asia, while continuing to maintain our footprint and capacity in the US.”
Zunino adds, “While expanding our Southeast Asia footprint, CHawk remains committed to supporting the US efforts for reshoring critical semiconductor manufacturing.”
One of CHawk’s specialties is a proprietary and highly specialized gold plating service, a capability the company intends to triple its US output with the addition of the new GTI Vietnam site. The facility will house a 6,760-square-foot class 10k cleanroom and a 1,357-square-foot class 100 cleanroom for assembly and UHP stainless steel orbital welding.
“I started my career two decades ago with the ownership of a metal machine shop in the US that specialized in medical devices, and, like the medical industry, it is necessary to have a quality first mindset with no room for error in the semiconductor industry,” said Cuu Banh, VP Operations, GTI Vietnam for CHawk. “In support of our Quality First approach, we’ve added next-generation automation and robotics to the new facility. But not only that, as we look to create approximately 150 new jobs in the local community, we have a very skilled and motivated workforce to leverage. Vietnam boasts talented workers with a strong work ethic, and their dedication to excellence aligns perfectly with CHawk’s values, ensuring the highest standards of quality in our manufacturing process.”
According to Kent Rossman, Senior VP and Head of Operations, ASM, “GTI has been a key supplier for our Epi deposition product line for well over a decade and we look forward to continuing to grow together. The new GTI Vietnam site provides us with the logistic advantages of adjacent development capabilities with the ability to seamlessly scale high-volume production in support of our Southeast Asia facility.”
CHawk will support the local Ho Chi Minh city workforce with scholarships, internship programs, on-campus recruiting, as well as sponsoring and advising the HCMC University of Technology and Education’s high-tech programs.