Experts in Critical Systems Engineering and Manufacturing: Ichor Systems

We are a Preferred Choice in Semiconductor Equipment, LED, OLED, Alternative Energy, Data Storage and Flat Panel Display Markets.

Because of digitization and automation, the manufacturing industry is now rapidly changing. The whole chain of products, machines, factories, warehouses and customers, or the Internet of Things, is able to share and exchange information. Current growth in the production of electronics is one of the key drivers of the global semiconductor production equipment market. Rising demand for tablets, Smartphones, wireless communication infrastructure, network hardware, digital televisions, computers and medical devices is encouraging the global demand for semiconductors, thereby boosting the demand for semiconductor production equipment. Headquartered in Fremont, California, Ichor Systems offers world-class process engineering; value added manufacturing, materials management and testing capabilities.

Into The Realms of Ichor

The name Ichor means “the blood of the gods”. Fluid delivery is an essential component of semiconductor manufacturing and the company plays a pivotal role in the semiconductor industry, through its contribution to leading manufacturing companies. This inspired the name. Ichor has with manufacturing locations in California, Texas, Singapore, Malaysia and the UK. Its headquarters are is located in Silicon Valley, California.

In Convo with Thomas M. Rohrs, Chairman and CEO

What led to the inception of the company?

Our first product was mechanical engineering design services to help our customers improve the gas flow into their semiconductor process equipment reaction chambers. This eventually evolved into providing more and more capabilities to provide more complete solutions to our customers including weldments, gas panel assembly and chemical modules. In the early 2000’s, we began expanding our manufacturing footprint into Malaysia and Singapore to support the growing global presence of our customers. By the late 2000’s we had begun supporting the global LED business and once again expanded our footprint in North America.

Most recently, we acquired a plastics machining company to support the growing chemical delivery needs of one of our customers as well as an acquisition to expand our weldment capabilities. These acquisitions will allow us to support our key customers as well as help us gain entry into new markets.

Discuss the current market scenario and your company’s position in the market.

We are a major fluid systems provider to the major process semiconductor capital equipment suppliers. We have grown faster than the market and adapted to change along with our customers. Our level of collaboration has been the single most important factor in our success. We are a leading provider and our name is well recognized as the premier engineering and design provider of fluid delivery systems to our customers.

Can you brief us about Ichor’s mission and vision statements? And to what extent are you successful in achieving the same?

It is our mission to provide fluid delivery expertise across all critical areas of semiconductor manufacturing through strong engineering design and manufacturing. It is our strategy to continue to expand through organic and inorganic growth to create a larger revenue stream and optimize our operations while adding more and more capability to make our customers more successful. We have been very successful in providing our expertise (increased penetrations across all platforms), growing organically and through acquisitions (37% CAGR) and continuously improving our operations (reducing OPEX 13.2% to 10.2% from 2014-2016).

List the factors that make Ichor ‘One Of The Best Tech Companies’.

• We are a key player in the semiconductor supply chain.
• We are very strong in our technical capabilities to solve difficult fluid delivery problems.
• We know how to deliver those solutions to our customers.
• We have a talented global workforce that is loyal to helping our customers be successful.
• We have a forward-thinking executive team that encourages and supports our employees to deliver the best we have to offer.

Technology and Innovation go hand-in-hand, a perfect fusion, how often do you innovate?

We are continually looking at new technologies and better ways to employ approaches that make more efficient products. While we are mostly pro-active in our strategies, we still see the need to be positively reactive to our customers.

What is the road map ahead for Ichor?

Ichor is actively pursuing ways to improve functionality and reduce costs by the use of the latest technologies applied to our design for new and potential products in gas and liquid delivery systems.

Our vision is to continue to expand through organic and inorganic growth, so the market should expect to see a larger revenue Ichor continuing to lean itself down and optimizing its operations while adding more and more capability.

Mover and Shaker of Ichor

Thomas M. Rohrs, Chairman and CEO: Rohrs has served as Executive Chairman and director of Ichor since February 2012 and as Chief Executive Officer since September 2014 and brings an extensive background of executive managerial experience to Ichor Systems. Prior to serving at Ichor, Rohrs served as CEO and Chairman of Skyline Solar from 2010 to 2012 and Electroglas from 2006 to 2009. He has served at an executive capacity in high-profile Silicon Valley companies including Hewlett Packard and Silicon Graphics. Rohrs also served on the Executive Committee of Applied Materials from 1998 to 2002. He graduated from University of Notre Dame with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and received a MBA from the Harvard Business School.

“We have very strong engineering design services and bring unmatched operational experience to make our customers successful.”