BOURNS acquires FULTEC’s innovative TBU circuit protection technology

RIVERSIDE, Calif, October 13, 2008 -- Bourns, Inc. is pleased to announce its purchase of substantially all of the assets of the Transient Blocking Unit business of Fultec Semiconductor, Inc. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Fultec Semiconductor’s Transient Blocking Unit (TBU) business, headquartered in Mountain View, California, designs and manufactures surge protection components and modules primarily for communications applications. Fultec’s TBU products, which are based on a novel and innovative Electronic Current Limiter technology, can be most easily understood as resettable electronic fuses that react extremely quickly to incoming surges and effectively block energy from reaching sensitive and expensive electronic equipment. Fultec’s TBU products are sold principally to equipment manufacturers for use in high speed voice and data over broadband applications.

According to Dr. Erik Meijer, Vice President of Circuit Protection for Bourns, this acquisition provides Bourns with a unique offering that complements its extensive existing portfolio of protection products and protection technologies and further strengthens Bourns’ position as a leading supplier of circuit protection components and solutions. Dr. Meijer noted that Bourns has over 30 years of market experience built on a combination of innovative internally developed products and product line acquisitions, such as Joslyn Electronics’ communication protection products business, Power Innovations’ thyristor surge protector business and Texas Instruments’ solid state Telecom protection business. “Bourns is committed to supplying the best and most reliable electronic solutions to satisfy the diverse needs of our customers. New component technology introductions in the circuit protection arena are rare and we are very excited to add the Transient Blocking Unit to our broad range of protection technologies,” said Dr. Meijer.

James Witham, President and CEO of Fultec Semiconductor, Inc. said, “This combination is the ideal solution for Fultec and our customers who will now benefit from not only superior circuit protection but also having access to Bourns’ extensive global sales and technical support network. Our team is excited about joining Bourns and the new opportunities for the TBU business.”

About Bourns

Bourns, Inc., is a leading manufacturer and supplier of position and speed sensors, circuit protection solutions, magnetic components, microelectronic modules, panel controls and resistive products. Headquartered in Riverside, California, USA, Bourns serves a broad range of markets, including automotive, industrial, consumer, communications, non-critical life support medical (low/medium risk), audio and various other market segments. Additional company and product information is available at www.bourns.com.