South Korean chip parts maker Leeno hit by month-long strike, orders shifting to Taiwan's Winway
A strike at a key South Korean supplier of semiconductor test parts is dragging on, hurting the company but handing business to rivals in Taiwan and Japan.
- Workers at Leeno Industrial have been on strike since late July, costing the company roughly $1.5 million a day.
- Leeno makes the metal probes and sockets used to test chips, with Nvidia, Qualcomm and Broadcom among its customers.
- The company has told some customers it cannot deliver on time and advised them to buy elsewhere.
- Orders are moving to Taiwan's Winway and Japan's Yamaichi and Yokoo, a win for those suppliers.
- Leeno cannot take new orders at all right now, so the damage to customer trust may outlast the strike itself.
Outlook: The lost business could stretch into next year, with Taiwanese and Japanese competitors keeping the customers they pick up.