The Information Technology 100
43
Lite-On Technology
Like their counterparts at many other Taiwanese electronics manufacturers, executives at Lite-On have been struggling to increase profits as big American customers like Dell and Hewlett-Packard relentlessly put the squeeze on prices. Lite-On, which makes PC components and printers, enjoyed 48% sales growth last year, to about $6.8 billion. But earnings barely budged, up less than 4%, to $240 million.
One solution is moving away from its traditional outsourcing model and developing its own brand, with the hope that this will result in higher margins. In the U.S. Lite-On now sells its own brand of DVD recorders, which have won praise from some experts.
Company Info
| STOCK INFO | NA |
| Revenues* | $6.4 BILLION |
| Revenue Growth | 48.2% |
| Return on Equity | 15.8% |
| Total Return | 12.8% |
| Profits* | $226.6 MILLION |
| Industry | COMPUTERS AND PERIPHERALS |
| CORPORATE WEB SITE | |
All figures are for the most recent available 12 months.
* Latest available data for the 12-month period ended Dec. 31, Jan. 31, Feb. 29, Mar. 31, or Apr. 30. For companies that do not report quarterly, the most recent annual data were used.
Data provided by Standard & Poor's Compustat, BusinessWeek
Why Taiwan Matters
Outsourcing Innovation
Company Snapshot
Lite-On Technology is engaged in the manufacturing and marketing of computer software, hardware, peripherals and components, digital displays, DVD burners and recorders, notebook keyboards, camera modules, LED, photo couplers, Internet equipment, system equipment, and image-processing equipment.
No. of Employees
NA
Data provided by 
David Lin
Bio
David Lin serves as Chief Executive Officer of Lite On Technology Corp. and has been Director since April 19, 2001. He received Bachelor of Electrophysics from National Chiao Tung University and EMBA from Tulane University.