Taipei, Jan. 26, 2010 (CENS)--Most major backlight-module makers in Taiwan reported revenue growth in 2009, except Kenmos Technology Co., Ltd.
Both Coretronic Corp. and Radiant Opto-electronics Corp. reported rising sales to Korean panel suppliers last year, and anticipate further sales growth as Korean customers are actively developing LED-backlight TV panels.
Coretronic registered total 2009 revenues of NT$77.4 billion (US$2.38 billion at US$1: NT$32.5), including NT$49 billion (US$1.5 billion) from backlight-module sales (up 5% year-on-year, or YoY), making the company the leader in the local backlight-module sector.
Radiant, the second-largest backlight-module supplier on the island, had consolidated revenues of NT$36.6 billion (US$1.1 billion) last year, up 7% YoY. The company originally focused on notebook PC-backlight products, but said that it would actively develop LED-backlight business this year.
Forhouse Corp., an affiliate of the AU Optronics Corp. (AUO), the largest thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) panel manufacturer in Taiwan, had consolidated revenues of NT$19.98 billion (US$614.8 million) last year, up 25% YoY. While Taiwan Nano Electro-Optical Technology Co., Ltd. registered consolidate revenues of NT$5.17 billion (US$159.1 million), a 14.2% YoY increase.
Industry sources said that all backlight-module makers in Taiwan faced high price-cutting pressure from local TFT-LCD panel makers, who suffered unprecedented operation challenges in 2009 due to the global crash.
The sources attributed Coretronic and Radiant`s revenue growths to the successful exploration of the Korean market. More than 50% of Radiant`s revenues in 2009, for example, were generated from sales to Korean customers.
In December 2009, Coretronic shipped 1.31 million TV-panel backlight modules (in which over-30-inch models accounted for 76%), 2.73 million monitor-panel backlight modules (with LED-backlight`s penetration of 16%), and 2.55 million notebook PC-panel backlights (with LED model`s penetration of about 70%).
| Backlight-module Makers` 2009 Revenues |
| Company | `09 Revenue (backlight biz only) | YoY | Major Application |
| Coretronic | NT$49 billion | +5.0% | All kinds panels |
| Radiant | NT$36.6 billion | +7.6% | Notebook PC, monitor |
| Forhouse | NT$19.98 billion | +25.0% | Monitor, TV |
| Kenmos | NT$6.48 billion | -30.0% | LED backlight |
| Taiwan Nano | NT$5.17 billion | +14.2% | notebook |
| Source: The companies. |
(by Quincy Liang)
