Applied Materials Israel to Hire 200

Applied Materials is the world's biggest supplier of manufacturing systems and services to the global semiconductor industry, and it is also the only multinational with an independent Israeli business group. Formerly led by ex-Israeli Dan Maydan, the global company has retained its Israeli strengths under his successor, Mike Splinter.

The Israeli unit is devoted to the Process Diagnostics and Control business and employs more than 1,000 people at four sites. It has not only an R&D division, but also business development, production, and marketing and sales. The PDC unit is based on two Israeli companies that Applied Materials bought in 1996 and 1997 - Opal and Orbot - for $285 million.

Yesterday Splinter visited Israel and looked highly satisfied with the Israeli unit, which is the company's biggest outside the U.S. Moreover, he has ambitious plans for its development, including hiring 200 more engineers. The PDC unit has new products in the pipeline that look good, he promises.

Full story in Haaretz-TheMarker on Wednesday. Stay tuned!