Newport Buys East Coast Automation Firm

Newport Corp. said Friday it acquired Design Technology Corp., a private robotics and automation system company in Billerica, Mass., for an undisclosed amount.

Newport, an Irvine maker of precision components and instruments, said it expects the stock purchase to add $5 million to $10 million to its sales and increase earnings per share “mildly” this year.

A First Call/Thomson Financial Survey of 10 analysts put Newport’s fiscal 2001 earnings at $1.53 a share. In 2000, Newport earned $27.8 million, or 86 cents a share, on sales of $86.7 million.

Newport said Design Technology’s electronic components will complement its core photonics packaging, inspection and test equipment and allow Newport to expand its robotic assembly and advanced automation technology. Newport’s stock fell nearly 11%, or $9.02 a share, to $75.56 in Nasdaq trading.