Steed Technology and Highvac announce merger

SCOTTS VALLEY & COLORADO SPRINGS, USA: Steed Technology, a leading provider of thermal processing equipment and process gas abatement systems, announced it has merged with Highvac of Colorado Springs, CO.

Highvac Corp. is a leading US supplier of vacuum pumps, accessories and related equipment and services. Steed Technology and Highvac both primarily serve customers in the Semiconductor, LED and Solar Industries, which lends to the marriage of these two companies.

The newly-merged company will operate under the name Steed Technologies with headquarters at Highvac's 45,000 Sq. Ft. manufacturing and distribution facility in Colorado Springs, CO.

A main focus of the merger involves ramping up sales channels, as well as expanding existing channels both domestically and internationally while putting an increased focus on new customers in regions with new, stricter air quality restrictions. With the combination of Steed's EcoGuard point of use (PoU) abatement systems and Highvac's established vacuum pump sales and service centers, current and future customers will have access to a wider variety of vacuum/abatement solutions to better serve their specific application requirements.

Highvac has service centers throughout the U.S. around the world. These locations will serve as the foundation for growth into different global regions going forward, providing customers with faster, more convenient access to service and support for vacuum and gas abatement products.

Highvac's long term, core competency of process vacuum pumps and support lends itself well with Steed's newly introduced EcoGuard "Point of Use" abatement (PoU) technology. Through this strategic alliance, Steed and Highvac have developed a total "Sub-Fab" solution that they will offer to end user customers and OEMs alike.

The Sub-Fab solution is a totally integrated system that includes vacuum and abatement technologies, and an onboard environmental control panel feature developed by Steed Technology. By combining these technologies into a packaged, turnkey product, customers will no longer have to piece together vacuum and abatement systems from separate technology providers, and will be able to purchase process vacuum pumps and exhaust abatement equipment as a totally integrated system through a single vendor.

Continuing the Highvac model of local support centers is a key ingredient when it comes to providing customers the services required to maintain mission-critical manufacturing lines in a highly responsive manner. Support centers will be expanded throughout the US and globally, including Taiwan, Korea, China, Singapore and Europe as efforts are aggressively ramped up to support customers demand for process vacuum and abatement technologies.

An additional aspect of the merger is the creation of Steed's Green Consulting Service. The merger adds considerable value to this consulting service with the addition of the Highvac "Vacuum Pumping Solutions" team, which boasts a combined 50 years of Gas Abatement and Vacuum Equipment experience.

With new, increasingly strict, environmental regulations such as the "Greenhouse" law (AB32), many companies in the Semiconductor, LED, Solar and other industries are closely examining ways to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of their current abatement systems. There is little doubt environmental control will play a major role in these industries in the years ahead, and to assist companies in making the transition to cleaner, more efficient manufacturing technologies Steed will offer Green consulting and solutions services to help companies dramatically reduce emissions of gasses such as Perfluorocarbons (PFCs), Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx), and Carbon dioxide (CO2).

Steed's Green Consulting provides a fast-track to compliance for companies struggling to comply with local and federal laws, while offering significant savings through the reduction of consumed utilities such as fuel and water.