Merger mania 2014 has hit our industry. Yes, that great exercise in frustration where some company goes out and hocks everything it has to buy what it thinks is a brand new opportunity, but what more often than not means overpaying for the equivalent of a used Mercury Marquis - a nice cushy feel that nobody really likes. This latest round is being led by TTM's pending purchase of Viasystems in a deal valued at around $927 million, $368 million in cash. Not chump change by any means, and with the stroke of the pen two major players will catapult to the No. 2 position, as measured by sales, in the highly competitive global printed circuit board industry. Heady stuff. Awe inspiring. However, if past is prologue, regrettably, it will be a losing proposition for all.
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