ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

     An investment in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the factors described below, in addition to those discussed elsewhere in this report, in analyzing an investment in our common stock. If any of the events described below occurs, our business, financial condition, and results of operations would likely suffer, the trading price of our common stock could fall, and you could lose all or part of the money you paid for our common stock.

     In addition, the following risk factors and uncertainties could cause our actual results to differ materially from those projected in our forward-looking statements, whether made in this report or the other documents we file with the SEC, or our annual or quarterly reports to stockholders, future press releases, or orally, whether in presentations, responses to questions, or otherwise.

     Note: The information contained in this Item has been updated to reflect the retrospective adoption of Financial Accounting Standards Board Staff Position APB 14-1, “Accounting for Convertible Instruments That May Be Settled Upon Conversion (Including Partial Cash Settlement)”, which has been applied to the Convertible Notes issued May 2008.

Risks Related to Our Company

We are heavily dependent upon the worldwide electronics industry, which is characterized by significant economic cycles and fluctuations in product demand. A significant downturn in the electronics industry could result in decreased demand for our manufacturing services and could lower our sales and gross margins.

     A majority of our revenues are generated from the electronics industry, which is characterized by intense competition, relatively short product life cycles, and significant fluctuations in product demand. Furthermore, the industry is subject to economic cycles and recessionary periods and has been negatively affected by the current contraction in the U.S. economy and in the worldwide electronics market. Moreover, due to the uncertainty in the end markets served by most of our customers, we have a low level of visibility with respect to future financial results. The current credit crisis and related turmoil in the financial system has negatively impacted the global economy and could result in a significant downturn in the electronics industry. A lasting economic recession, excess manufacturing capacity, or a decline in the electronics industry could negatively affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition. A decline in our sales could harm our profitability and results of operations and could require us to record an additional valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets or recognize an impairment of our long-lived assets, including goodwill and other intangible assets.

The global financial crisis may impact our business and financial condition in ways that we currently cannot predict.

     The continued credit crisis and related turmoil in the global financial system has had and may continue to have an impact on our business and financial condition. For example, we are currently unable to access cash invested in the Reserve Primary Fund, a money market fund that has suspended redemptions and is being liquidated. We had invested approximately $20.1 million in the Reserve Primary Fund. Despite making redemption requests for the entire amount of our investment, we have only received a partial distribution of $17.2 million as of March 12, 2009, of which $15.9 million was received in the fourth quarter of 2008 and $1.3 million in the first quarter of 2009. The fair value of our remaining investment in the Reserve Primary Fund was $3.7 million at December 31, 2008. We expect to receive substantially all of our current holdings in the Reserve Primary Fund.

     In addition to the impact that the global financial crisis has already had on us, we may face significant challenges if conditions in the financial markets do not improve or continue to worsen. For example, continuation of the credit crisis could adversely impact overall demand in the electronics industry, which could have a negative effect on our revenues and profitability. In addition, our ability to access the capital markets may be severely restricted at a time when we would like, or need, to do so, which could have an impact on our flexibility to react to changing economic and business conditions or our ability to pursue acquisitions.

During periods of excess global printed circuit board manufacturing capacity, our gross margins may fall and/or we may have to incur restructuring charges if we choose to reduce the capacity of or close any of our facilities.

     When we experience excess capacity, our sales revenues may not fully cover our fixed overhead expenses, and our gross margins will fall. In addition, we generally schedule our quick-turn production facilities at less than full capacity to retain our ability to respond to unexpected additional quick-turn orders. However, if these orders are not received, we may forego some production and could experience continued excess capacity.

     If we conclude we have significant, long-term excess capacity, we may decide to permanently close one or more of our facilities, and lay off some of our employees. Closures or lay-offs could result in our recording restructuring charges such as severance, other exit costs, and asset impairments.

We face a risk that capital needed for our business and to repay our debt obligations will not be available when we need it. Additionally, our leverage and our debt service obligations may adversely affect our cash flow.

     As of December 31, 2008, we had total indebtedness of approximately $175 million, which represented approximately 36% of our total capitalization.

     Our indebtedness could have significant negative consequences, including:

	•		increasing our vulnerability to general adverse economic and industry conditions;
	•		limiting our ability to obtain additional financing;
	•		requiring the use of a substantial portion of any cash flow from operations to service our indebtedness, thereby reducing the amount of cash flow available for other purposes, including capital expenditures;
	•		limiting our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business and the industry in which we compete; and
	•		placing us at a possible competitive disadvantage to less leveraged competitors and competitors that have better access to capital resources.

Our acquisition strategy involves numerous risks.

     As part of our business strategy, we expect that we will continue to grow by pursuing acquisitions of businesses, technologies, assets, or product lines that complement or expand our business. Risks related to an acquisition may include:

	•		the potential inability to successfully integrate acquired operations and businesses or to realize anticipated synergies, economies of scale, or other expected value;
	•		diversion of management’s attention from normal daily operations of our existing business to focus on integration of the newly acquired business;
	•		unforeseen expenses associated with the integration of the newly acquired business;
	•		difficulties in managing production and coordinating operations at new sites;
	•		the potential loss of key employees of acquired operations;
	•		the potential inability to retain existing customers of acquired companies when we desire to do so;
	•		insufficient revenues to offset increased expenses associated with acquisitions;
	•		the potential decrease in overall gross margins associated with acquiring a business with a different product mix;
	•		the inability to identify certain unrecorded liabilities;
	•		the potential need to restructure, modify, or terminate customer relationships of the acquired company;
	•		an increased concentration of business from existing or new customers; and
	•		the potential inability to identify assets best suited to our business plan.

     Acquisitions may cause us to:

	•		enter lines of business and/or markets in which we have limited or no prior experience;
	•		issue debt and be required to abide by stringent loan covenants;
	•		assume liabilities;
	•		record goodwill and non-amortizable intangible assets that will be subject to impairment testing and potential periodic impairment charges;
	•		become subject to litigation and environmental issues;
	•		incur unanticipated costs;
	•		incur large and immediate write-offs;
	•		issue common stock that would dilute our current stockholders’ percentage ownership; and
	•		incur substantial transaction-related costs, whether or not a proposed acquisition is consummated.

     Acquisitions of high technology companies are inherently risky, and no assurance can be given that our recent or future acquisitions will be successful and will not harm our business, operating results, or financial condition. Failure to manage and successfully integrate acquisitions we make could harm our business and operating results in a material way. Even when an acquired company has already developed and marketed products, product enhancements may not be made in a timely fashion. In addition, unforeseen issues might arise with respect to such products after the acquisition.

We depend upon a relatively small number of OEM customers for a large portion of our sales, and a decline in sales to major customers could harm our results of operations.

     A small number of customers are responsible for a significant portion of our sales. Our five largest OEM customers accounted for approximately 29% and 24% of our net sales for the years ended December 31, 2008 and 2007, respectively. Sales attributed to OEMs include both direct sales as well as sales that the OEMs place through EMS providers. Our customer concentration could fluctuate, depending on future customer requirements, which will depend in large part on market conditions in the electronics industry segments in which our customers participate. The loss of one or more significant customers or a decline in sales to our significant customers could harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition and lead to declines in the trading price of our common stock. In addition, we generate significant accounts receivable in connection with providing manufacturing services to our customers. If one or more of our significant customers were to become insolvent or were otherwise unable to pay for the manufacturing services provided by us, our results of operations would be harmed.

We compete against manufacturers in Asia, where production costs are lower. These competitors may gain market share in our key market segments, which may have an adverse effect on the pricing of our products.

     We may be at a competitive disadvantage with respect to price when compared to manufacturers with lower-cost facilities in Asia and other locations. We believe price competition from printed circuit board manufacturers in Asia and other locations with lower production costs may play an increasing role in the market. Although we do have a backplane assembly facility in China, we do not have offshore facilities for PCB fabrication in lower-cost locations such as Asia. While historically our competitors in these locations have produced less technologically advanced printed circuit boards, they continue to expand their capacity and capabilities with advanced equipment to produce higher technology printed circuit boards. In addition, fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates may benefit these offshore competitors. As a result, these competitors may gain market share, which may force us to lower our prices, which would reduce our gross margins.

A trend toward consolidation among our customers could adversely affect our business.

     Recently, some of our large customers have consolidated and further consolidation of customers may occur. Depending on which organization becomes the controller of the supply chain function following the consolidation, we may not be retained as a preferred or approved supplier. In addition, product duplication could result in the termination of a product line that we currently support. While

there is potential for increasing our position with the combined customer, there does exist the potential for decreased revenue if we are not retained as a continuing supplier. We also face the risk of increased pricing pressure from the combined customer because of its increased market share.

Our failure to comply with the requirements of environmental laws could result in litigation, fines and revocation of permits necessary to our manufacturing processes. Failure to operate in conformance with environmental laws could lead to debarment from our participation in federal government contracts.

     Our operations are regulated under a number of federal, state, local, and foreign environmental and safety laws and regulations that govern, among other things, the discharge of hazardous materials into the air and water, as well as the handling, storage, and disposal of such materials. These laws and regulations include the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Superfund Amendment and Reauthorization Act, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act as well as analogous state, local, and foreign laws. Compliance with these environmental laws is a major consideration for us because our manufacturing processes use and generate materials classified as hazardous. Because we use hazardous materials and generate hazardous wastes in our manufacturing processes, we may be subject to potential financial liability for costs associated with the investigation and remediation of our own sites, or sites at which we have arranged for the disposal of hazardous wastes, if such sites become contaminated. Even if we fully comply with applicable environmental laws and are not directly at fault for the contamination, we may still be liable. The wastes we generate include spent ammoniacal and cupric etching solutions, metal stripping solutions, waste acid solutions, waste alkaline cleaners, waste oil, and waste waters that contain heavy metals such as copper, tin, lead, nickel, gold, silver, cyanide, and fluoride; and both filter cake and spent ion exchange resins from equipment used for on-site waste treatment.

     Any material violations of environmental laws or failure to maintain required environmental permits could subject us to fines, penalties, and other sanctions, including the revocation of our effluent discharge permits, which could require us to cease or limit production at one or more of our facilities, and harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition. Even if we ultimately prevail, environmental lawsuits against us would be time consuming and costly to defend.

     Prior to our acquisition of our PCG business, PCG made legal commitments to the U.S. EPA and to the State of Connecticut regarding settlement of enforcement actions related to the PCG operations in Connecticut. The obligations include fulfillment of a Compliance Management Plan through at least July 2009 and installation of two rinse water recycling systems at the Stafford, Connecticut facilities. Failure to meet either commitment could result in further costly enforcement actions, including exclusion from participation in defense and other federal contracts, which would materially harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

     Environmental laws also could become more stringent over time, imposing greater compliance costs and increasing risks and penalties associated with violation. We operate in environmentally sensitive locations, and we are subject to potentially conflicting and changing regulatory agendas of political, business, and environmental groups. Changes or restrictions on discharge limits, emissions levels, material storage, handling, or disposal might require a high level of unplanned capital investment or global relocation. It is possible that environmental compliance costs and penalties from new or existing regulations may harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

     We are increasingly required to certify compliance to various material content restrictions in our products based on laws of various jurisdictions or territories such as the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) and Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) directives in the European Union and China’s RoHS legislation. New York City has adopted identical restrictions and many U.S. states are considering similar rules and legislation. In addition, we must also certify as to the non-applicability to the EU’s Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment directive for certain products that we manufacture. As with other types of product certifications that we routinely provide, we may incur liability and pay damages if our products do not conform to our certifications.

We are exposed to the credit risk of some of our customers and to credit exposures in weakened markets.

     Most of our sales are on an “open credit” basis, with standard industry payment terms. We monitor individual customer payment capability in granting such open credit arrangements, seek to limit such open credit to amounts we believe the customers can pay, and maintain reserves we believe are adequate to cover exposure for doubtful accounts. During periods of economic downturn in the electronics industry and the global economy, our exposure to credit risks from our customers increases. Although we have programs in place to monitor and mitigate the associated risks, such programs may not be effective in reducing our credit risks.

     Our 10 largest customers accounted for approximately 50% and 44% of our net sales for the years ended December 31, 2008 and 2007, respectively. Additionally, our OEM customers often direct a significant portion of their purchases through a relatively limited number of EMS companies. Our contractual relationship is often with the EMS companies, who are obligated to pay us for our products. Because we expect our OEM customers to continue to direct our sales to EMS companies, we expect to continue to be subject to this credit risk with a limited number of EMS customers. If one or more of our significant customers were to become insolvent or were otherwise unable to pay us, our results of operations would be harmed.

     Some of our customers are EMS companies located abroad. Our exposure has increased as these foreign customers continue to expand. With the primary exception of sales from our facility in China and a portion of sales from our Ireland sales office, our foreign sales are denominated in U.S. dollars and are typically on the same “open credit” basis and terms described above. Our foreign receivables were approximately 17% of our net accounts receivable as of December 31, 2008 and are expected to continue to grow as a percentage of our total receivables. We do not utilize credit insurance as a risk management tool.

We rely on suppliers for the timely delivery of raw materials and components used in manufacturing our printed circuit boards and backplane assemblies, and an increase in industry demand or the presence of a shortage for these raw materials or components may increase the price of these raw materials or components and reduce our gross margins. If a raw material supplier fails to satisfy our product quality standards, it could harm our customer relationships.

     To manufacture printed circuit boards, we use raw materials such as laminated layers of fiberglass, copper foil, chemical solutions, gold, and other commodity products, which we order from our suppliers. Although we have preferred suppliers for most of these raw materials, the materials we use are generally readily available in the open market, and numerous other potential suppliers exist. In the case of backplane assemblies, components include connectors, sheet metal, capacitors, resistors and diodes, many of which are custom made and controlled by our customers’ approved vendors. These components for backplane assemblies in some cases have limited or sole sources of supply. From time to time, we may experience increases in raw material or component prices, based on demand trends, which can negatively affect our gross margins. In addition, consolidations and restructuring in our supplier base may result in adverse materials pricing due to reduction in competition among our suppliers. Furthermore, if a raw material or component supplier fails to satisfy our product quality standards, it could harm our customer relationships. Suppliers may from time to time extend lead times, limit supplies, or increase prices, due to capacity constraints or other factors, which could harm our ability to deliver our products on a timely basis. We have recently experienced an increase in the price we pay for gold. In general, we are able to pass this price increase on to our customers, but we cannot be certain we will continue to be able to do so in the future.

If we are unable to respond to rapid technological change and process development, we may not be able to compete effectively.

     The market for our manufacturing services is characterized by rapidly changing technology and continual implementation of new production processes. The future success of our business will depend in large part upon our ability to maintain and enhance our technological capabilities, to manufacture products that meet changing customer needs, and to successfully anticipate or respond to technological changes on a cost-effective and timely basis. We expect that the investment necessary to maintain our technological position will increase as customers make demands for products and services requiring more advanced technology on a quicker turnaround basis. We may not be able to raise additional funds in order to respond to technological changes as quickly as our competitors.

     In addition, the printed circuit board industry could encounter competition from new or revised manufacturing and production technologies that render existing manufacturing and production technology less competitive or obsolete. We may not respond effectively to the technological requirements of the changing market. If we need new technologies and equipment to remain competitive, the development, acquisition, and implementation of those technologies and equipment may require us to make significant capital investments.

Competition in the printed circuit board market is intense, and we could lose market share if we are unable to maintain our current competitive position in end markets using our quick-turn, high technology and high-mix manufacturing services.

     The printed circuit board industry is intensely competitive, highly fragmented, and rapidly changing. We expect competition to continue, which could result in price reductions, reduced gross margins, and loss of market share. Our principal North American PCB competitors include Coretec, DDi, Endicott Interconnect Technologies, Firan Technology Group, ISU/Petasys, Merix, Pioneer Circuits, and Sanmina-SCI. Our principal international PCB competitors include Elec & Eltek, Hitachi, Ibiden, ISU/Petasys and Multek. Our principal assembly competitors include Amphenol, Sanmina-SCI, Simclar, TT Electronics, and Viasystems. In addition, we increasingly compete on an international basis, and new and emerging technologies may result in new competitors entering our markets.

       Some of our competitors and potential competitors have advantages over us, including:

	•		greater financial and manufacturing resources that can be devoted to the development, production, and sale of their products;
	•		more established and broader sales and marketing channels;
	•		more manufacturing facilities worldwide, some of which are closer in proximity to OEMs;
	•		manufacturing facilities that are located in countries with lower production costs;
	•		lower capacity utilization, which in peak market conditions can result in shorter lead times to customers;
	•		ability to add additional capacity faster or more efficiently;
	•		preferred vendor status with existing and potential customers;
	•		greater name recognition; and
	•		larger customer bases.

     In addition, these competitors may respond more quickly to new or emerging technologies, or adapt more quickly to changes in customer requirements, and devote greater resources to the development, promotion, and sale of their products than we do. We must continually develop improved manufacturing processes to meet our customers’ needs for complex products, and our manufacturing process technology is generally not subject to significant proprietary protection. During recessionary periods in the electronics industry, our strategy of providing quick-turn services, an integrated manufacturing solution, and responsive customer service may take on reduced importance to our customers. As a result, we may need to compete more on the basis of price, which could cause our gross margins to decline. Periodically, printed circuit board manufacturers and backplane assembly providers experience overcapacity. Overcapacity, combined with weakness in demand for electronic products, results in increased competition and price erosion for our products.

Our results of operations are often subject to demand fluctuations and seasonality. With a high level of fixed operating costs, even small revenue shortfalls would decrease our gross margins and potentially cause the trading price of our common stock to decline.

     Our results of operations fluctuate for a variety of reasons, including:

	•		timing of orders from and shipments to major customers;
	•		the levels at which we utilize our manufacturing capacity;
	•		price competition;
	•		changes in our mix of revenues generated from quick-turn versus standard delivery time services;
	•		expenditures, charges or write-offs, including those related to acquisitions, facility restructurings, or asset impairments; and
	•		expenses relating to expanding existing manufacturing facilities.

     A significant portion of our operating expenses is relatively fixed in nature, and planned expenditures are based in part on anticipated orders. Accordingly, unexpected revenue shortfalls may decrease our gross margins. In addition, we have experienced sales fluctuations due to seasonal patterns in the capital budgeting and purchasing cycles, as well as inventory management practices of our customers and the end markets we serve. In particular, the seasonality of the computer industry and quick-turn ordering patterns affects the overall printed circuit board industry. These seasonal trends have caused fluctuations in our operating results in the past and may continue to do so in the future. Results of operations in any period should not be considered indicative of the results to be expected for any future period. In addition, our future quarterly operating results may fluctuate and may not meet the expectations of securities analysts or investors. If this occurs, the trading price of our common stock likely would decline.

Because we sell on a purchase order basis, we are subject to uncertainties and variability in demand by our customers that could decrease revenues and harm our operating results.

     We generally sell to customers on a purchase order basis rather than pursuant to long-term contracts. Our quick-turn orders are subject to particularly short lead times. Consequently, our sales are subject to short-term variability in demand by our customers. Customers submitting purchase orders may cancel, reduce, or delay their orders for a variety of reasons. The level and timing of orders placed by our customers may vary, due to:

	•		customer attempts to manage inventory;
	•		changes in customers’ manufacturing strategies, such as a decision by a customer to either diversify or consolidate the number of printed circuit board manufacturers or backplane assembly service providers used or to manufacture or assemble its own products internally;
	•		variation in demand for our customers’ products; and
	•		changes in new product introductions.

     We have periodically experienced terminations, reductions, and delays in our customers’ orders. Further terminations, reductions, or delays in our customers’ orders could harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

The increasing prominence of EMS providers in the printed circuit board industry could reduce our gross margins, potential sales, and customers.

     Sales to EMS providers represented approximately 52% and 53% of our net sales for the years ended December 31, 2008 and 2007, respectively. Sales to EMS providers include sales directed by OEMs as well as orders placed with us at the EMS providers’ discretion. EMS providers source on a global basis to a greater extent than OEMs. The growth of EMS providers increases the purchasing power of such providers and could result in increased price competition or the loss of existing OEM customers. In addition, some EMS providers, including some of our customers, have the ability to directly manufacture printed circuit boards and create backplane assemblies. If a significant number of our other EMS customers were to acquire these abilities, our customer base might shrink, and our sales might decline substantially. Moreover, if any of our OEM customers outsource the production of PCBs and creation of backplane assemblies to these EMS providers, our business, results of operations, and financial condition may be harmed.

If events or circumstances occur in our business that indicate that our goodwill and definite-lived intangibles may not be recoverable, we could have impairment charges that would negatively affect our earnings.

     As of December 31, 2008, our consolidated balance sheet reflected $32.5 million of goodwill and definite-lived intangible assets. We evaluate whether events and circumstances have occurred, such the potential for reduced expectations for future cash flows coupled with further decline in the market price of our stock and market capitalization that may indicate that the remaining balance of goodwill and definite-lived intangible assets may not be recoverable. If factors indicate that assets are impaired, we would be required to reduce the carrying value of our goodwill and definite-lived intangible assets, which could harm our results during the periods in which such a reduction is recognized. Our goodwill and definite-lived intangible assets may increase in future periods if we consummate other acquisitions. Amortization or impairment of these additional intangibles would, in turn, harm our earnings.

Damage to our manufacturing facilities due to fire, natural disaster, or other events could harm our financial results.

     We have U.S. manufacturing and assembly facilities in California, Connecticut, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin. We also have an assembly facility in China. The destruction or closure of any of our facilities for a significant period of time as a result of fire, explosion, blizzard, act of war or terrorism, flood, tornado, earthquake, lightning, or other natural disaster could harm us financially, increasing our costs of doing business and limiting our ability to deliver our manufacturing services on a timely basis.

Our manufacturing processes depend on the collective industry experience of our employees. If a significant number of these employees were to leave us, it could limit our ability to compete effectively and could harm our financial results.

     We have limited patent or trade secret protection for our manufacturing processes. We rely on the collective experience of our employees involved in our manufacturing processes to ensure we continuously evaluate and adopt new technologies in our industry. Although we are not dependent on any one employee or a small number of employees, if a significant number of our employees involved in our manufacturing processes were to leave our employment, and we were not able to replace these people with new employees with comparable experience, our manufacturing processes might suffer as we might be unable to keep up with innovations in the industry. As a result, we may lose our ability to continue to compete effectively.

We may be exposed to intellectual property infringement claims by third parties that could be costly to defend, could divert management’s attention and resources, and if successful, could result in liability.

     We could be subject to legal proceedings and claims for alleged infringement by us of third-party proprietary rights, such as patents, from time to time in the ordinary course of business. It is possible that the circuit board designs and other specifications supplied to us by our customers might infringe on the patents or other intellectual property rights of third parties, in which case our manufacture of printed circuit boards according to such designs and specifications could expose us to legal proceedings for allegedly aiding and abetting the violation, as well as to potential liability for the infringement. If we do not prevail in any litigation resulting from any such allegations, our business could be harmed.

We depend heavily on a single end customer, the U.S. government, for a substantial portion of our business, including programs subject to security classification restrictions on information. Changes affecting the government’s capacity to do business with us or our direct customers or the effects of competition in the defense industry could have a material adverse effect on our business.

     A significant portion of our revenues is derived from products and services ultimately sold to the U.S. government and is therefore affected by, among other things, the federal budget process. We are a supplier, primarily as a subcontractor, to the U.S. government and its agencies as well as foreign governments and agencies. These contracts are subject to the respective customers’ political and budgetary constraints and processes, changes in customers’ short-range and long-range strategic plans, the timing of contract awards, and in the case of contracts with the U.S. government, the congressional budget authorization and appropriation processes, the government’s ability to terminate contracts for convenience or for default, as well as other risks such as contractor suspension or debarment in the event of certain violations of legal and regulatory requirements. The termination or failure to fund one or more significant contracts by the U.S. government could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or prospects.

Our business may suffer if any of our key senior executives discontinues employment with us or if we are unable to recruit and retain highly skilled engineering and sales staff.

     Our future success depends to a large extent on the services of our key managerial employees. We may not be able to retain our executive officers and key personnel or attract additional qualified management in the future. Our business also depends on our continuing ability to recruit, train, and retain highly qualified employees, particularly engineering and sales and marketing personnel. The competition for these employees is intense, and the loss of these employees could harm our business. Further, our ability to successfully integrate acquired companies depends in part on our ability to retain key management and existing employees at the time of the acquisition.

Increasingly, our larger customers are requesting that we enter into supply agreements with them that have increasingly restrictive terms and conditions. These agreements typically include provisions that increase our financial exposure, which could result in significant costs to us.

     Increasingly, our larger customers are requesting that we enter into supply agreements with them. These agreements typically include provisions that generally serve to increase our exposure for product liability and warranty claims — as compared to our standard terms and conditions — which could result in higher costs to us as a result of such claims. In addition, these agreements typically contain provisions that seek to limit our operational and pricing flexibility and extend payment terms, which can adversely impact our cash flow and results of operations.

Our backplane assembly operation serves customers and has a manufacturing facility outside the United States and is subject to the risks characteristic of international operations. These risks include significant potential financial damage and potential loss of the business and its assets.

     Because we have manufacturing operations and sales offices located in Asia and Europe, we are subject to the risks of changes in economic and political conditions in those countries, including but not limited to:

	•		managing international operations;
	•		export license requirements;
	•		fluctuations in the value of local currencies;
	•		labor unrest and difficulties in staffing;
	•		government or political unrest;
	•		longer payment cycles;
	•		language and communication barriers as well as time zone differences;
	•		cultural differences;
	•		increases in duties and taxation levied on our products;
	•		imposition of restrictions on currency conversion or the transfer of funds;
	•		limitations on imports or exports of our product offering;
	•		travel restrictions;
	•		expropriation of private enterprises; and
	•		the potential reversal of current favorable policies encouraging foreign investment and trade.

Our operations in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) subject us to risks and uncertainties relating to the laws and regulations of the People’s Republic of China.

     Under its current leadership, the Chinese government has been pursuing economic reform policies, including the encouragement of foreign trade and investment and greater economic decentralization. No assurance can be given, however, that the government of the PRC will continue to pursue such policies, that such policies will be successful if pursued, or that such policies will not be significantly altered from time to time. Despite progress in developing its legal system, the PRC does not have a comprehensive and highly developed system of laws, particularly with respect to foreign investment activities and foreign trade. Enforcement of existing and future laws and contracts is uncertain, and implementation and interpretation thereof may be inconsistent. As the Chinese legal system develops, the promulgation of new laws, changes to existing laws and the preemption of local regulations by national laws may adversely affect foreign investors. Further, any litigation in the PRC may be protracted and result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention. In addition, some government policies and rules are not timely published or communicated in the local districts, if they are published at all. As a result, we may operate our business in violation of new rules and policies without having any knowledge of their existence. These uncertainties could limit the legal protections available to us.

Products we manufacture may contain design or manufacturing defects, which could result in reduced demand for our services and liability claims against us.

     We manufacture products to our customers’ specifications, which are highly complex and may contain design or manufacturing errors or failures, despite our quality control and quality assurance efforts. Defects in the products we manufacture, whether caused by a design, manufacturing, or materials failure or error, may result in delayed shipments, customer dissatisfaction, a reduction or

cancellation of purchase orders, or liability claims against us. If these defects occur either in large quantities or too frequently, our business reputation may be impaired. Our sales mix has shifted towards standard delivery time products, which have larger production runs, thereby increasing our exposure to these types of defects. Since our products are used in products that are integral to our customers’ businesses, errors, defects, or other performance problems could result in financial or other damages to our customers beyond the cost of the printed circuit board, for which we may be liable. Although our invoices and sales arrangements generally contain provisions designed to limit our exposure to product liability and related claims, existing or future laws or unfavorable judicial decisions could negate these limitation of liability provisions. Product liability litigation against us, even if it were unsuccessful, would be time consuming and costly to defend. Although we maintain technology errors and omissions insurance, we cannot assure you that we will continue to be able to purchase such insurance coverage in the future on terms that are satisfactory to us, if at all.

We are subject to risks of currency fluctuations.

     A portion of our cash and other current assets is held in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. As of December 31, 2008, we had approximately $30.3 million of current assets denominated in Chinese RMB. Changes in exchange rates among other currencies and the U.S. dollar will affect the value of these assets as translated to U.S. dollars in our balance sheet. To the extent that we ultimately decide to repatriate some portion of these funds to the United States, the actual value transferred could be impacted by movements in exchange rates. Any such type of movement could negatively impact the amount of cash available to fund operations or to repay debt.

We export defense and commercial products from the United States to other countries. If we fail to comply with export laws, we could be subject to fines and other punitive actions.

     Exports from the United States are regulated by the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Commerce. Failure to comply with these regulations can result in significant fines and penalties. Additionally, violations of these laws can result in punitive penalties, which would restrict or prohibit us from exporting certain products, resulting in significant harm to our business.

Our business has benefited from OEMs deciding to outsource their PCB manufacturing and backplane assembly needs to us. If OEMs choose to provide these services in-house or select other providers, our business could suffer.

     Our future revenue growth partially depends on new outsourcing opportunities from OEMs. Current and prospective customers continuously evaluate our performance against other providers. They also evaluate the potential benefits of manufacturing their products themselves. To the extent that outsourcing opportunities are not available either due to OEM decisions to produce these products themselves or to use other providers, our financial results and future growth could be adversely affected.

We may not be able to fully recover our costs for providing design services to our customers, which could harm our financial results.

     Although we enter into design service activities with purchase order commitments, the cost of labor and equipment to provide these services may in fact exceed what we are able to fully recover through purchase order coverage. We also may be subject to agreements with customers in which the cost of these services is recovered over a period of time or through a certain number of units shipped as part of the ongoing product price. While we may make contractual provisions to recover these costs in the event that the product does not go into production, the actual recovery can be difficult and may not happen in full. In other instances, the business relationship may involve investing in these services for a customer as an ongoing service not directly recoverable through purchase orders. In any of these cases, the possibility exists that some or all of these activities are considered costs of doing business, are not directly recoverable, and may adversely impact our operating results.

Unanticipated changes in our tax rates or in our assessment of the realizability of our deferred tax assets or exposure to additional income tax liabilities could affect our operating results and financial condition.

     We are subject to income taxes in the United States and various foreign jurisdictions. Significant judgment is required in determining our provision for income taxes and, in the ordinary course of business, there are many transactions and calculations in which the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. Our effective tax rates could be adversely affected by changes in the mix of earnings in countries and states with differing statutory tax rates, changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities, changes in tax laws, as well as other factors. Our tax determinations are regularly subject to audit by tax authorities, and developments in those audits could adversely affect our income tax provision. Although we believe that our tax estimates are reasonable, the final determination of tax audits or tax disputes may be different from what is reflected in our historical income tax provisions, which could affect our operating results.

If our net earnings do not remain at or above recent levels, or we are not able to predict with a reasonable degree of probability that they will continue, we may have to record a valuation allowance against our net deferred tax assets.

     As of December 31, 2008, we had net deferred tax assets of approximately $39.8 million. Based on our forecast for future taxable earnings, we believe we will utilize the deferred tax asset in future periods. However, if our estimates of future earnings are lower than expected, we may record a higher income tax provision due to a write down of our net deferred tax assets, which would reduce our earnings per share.