The Information Technology 100
39
MEMC Electronic Materials
Robust demand for semiconductors means big business for suppliers. That's especially true for MEMC Electronic Materials, which makes wafers used in a wide variety of chips. While the market for silicon wafers grew 22% last year, MEMC outpaced the industry, notching 32% growth in sales, to $1 billion. Profits did even better, skyrocketing 93%, to $226 million. Why the superior performance? Contributing heavily was the company's successful integration of its 2004 acquisition of Taisil, a Taiwanese manufacturer of wafers, opening up the Asia Pacific region. For the year, its sales in Asia Pacific jumped 82% to $441 million -- now its largest geographic market. Such success has encouraged investors, who have bid up the company's stock 48% ,to $13.75, in the past 12 months, ended June 1.
Company Info
| STOCK INFO | WFR |
| Revenues* | $1.1 BILLION
|
| Revenue Growth | 28.7%
|
| Return on Equity | 51.5%
|
| Total Return | 49.2%
|
| Profits* | $267.5 MILLION
|
| Industry | SEMICONDUCTORS
|
| 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
Related BW Stories
Company Snapshot
MEMC Electronic Materials Inc. engages in the design, manufacture, and sale of electronic-grade wafers for the semiconductor industry. The company offers prime polished, epitaxial, and test/monitor wafers in sizes ranging from 100 millimeters to 300 millimeters. Its wafers are used as starting material for the manufacture of various types of semiconductor devices, including microprocessor, memory, logic, and power devices. These are used in computers, cellular phones, and other mobile electronic devices, automobiles, and other consumer and industrial products. The company sells it products to memory, microprocessor, and application-specific integrated circuit manufacturers, as well as to foundries worldwide. MEMC was formed in 1984 as a Delaware corporation and is headquartered in St. Peters, Mo.
No. of Employees
5,000
Data provided by 
Nabeel Gareeb
Bio
Nabeel Gareeb has been a Director of MEMC Electronic Materials Inc. since 2002. Mr. Gareeb joined MEMC as President and Chief Executive Officer in April 2002. Prior to joining MEMC, Mr. Gareeb was the Chief Operating Officer of International Rectifier Corp., a leading supplier of power semiconductors, where he was responsible for worldwide operations, research and development, and marketing of the core products of Memc Electronic Materials Inc. He joined International Rectifier in 1992 as Vice President of Manufacturing and subsequently held other senior management positions. Mr. Gareeb became President and Chief Executive Officer on April 30, 2002.
AGE: 40
Titles
President and Chief Executive Officer
Total Compensation*
$ 1.3 MILLION
Total Value of Options**
$ 22.1 MILLION
Degrees Held
NA
* Latest available fiscal year
** The sum of the net value of options exercised and held in the latest available fiscal year
Key Executives
Nabeel Gareeb, Thomas E. Linnen, John A. Kauffmann, Sylvia Roberts-Toomer, Shaker Sadasivam, David L. Fleisher
Board Members
Nabeel Gareeb, Robert J. Boehlke, John Marren, C. Douglas Marsh, William E. Stevens, James B. Williams
