NMB Technologies Not Expected to Be Sold

NMB Technologies Inc., a Chatsworth-based division of Japan’s Minebea Co., likely would not change hands if Minebea completes its reported plans to sell its NMB Semiconductor Co. unit to Nippon Steel Corp. of Japan, an NMB Technologies executive said.

Minebea is one of the world’s largest makers of ball bearings and produces a variety of electronic products such as semiconductors and computer keyboards. NMB Technologies, with 120 employees, is Minebea’s U. S. marketing and sales arm for those products.

Minebea last week confirmed Japanese press reports that the company is discussing the sale of its 60% stake in the struggling NMB Semiconductor subsidiary to Nippon Steel, a sale the reports estimated at roughly $239 million.

Myron Jones, senior vice president of NMB Technologies, said his division would likely lose its source of semiconductors if the sale occurs, but that the Chatsworth operation would not be included in the sale.

He said semiconductors account for about 30% of NMB Technologies’ sales, which he declined to disclose other than to say that they’re in the “hundreds of millions of dollars” annually.