P-Com Restructures Italian Operations
June 15 2004 - 10:15AM
PR Newswire (US)
P-Com Restructures Italian Operations Transaction Lowers Costs,
Improves Liquidity CAMPBELL, Calif., June 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/
-- P-Com, Inc. (OTC:PCOM) (BULLETIN BOARD: PCOM) , a worldwide
provider of wireless telecom products and services, today announced
a restructuring of its Italian operations conducted by P-Com
Italia, S.p.A. that will result in significant cost savings and
improved liquidity. Under the restructuring plan, P-Com Italia will
focus on research and development, and the manufacturing of
specific component parts, while outsourcing certain repair
operations to NORT S.r.L, an Italian third-party contract
manufacturer staffed by former employees of P-Com Italia. The
restructuring involved the sale of P-Com Italia's 36,000 square
foot facility in Tortona, Italy and a reduction in workforce of
approximately ten employees who were rehired by NORT. P-Com
received approximately $732,000 from the sale of the facility, and
its operating expenses are expected to decrease by approximately
$500,000 annually. "The restructuring of P-Com Italia is an
important strategic move for P-Com that enables us to focus on our
core products, lower operating expenses, and provides for greater
liquidity by re-deploying under-utilized assets," said P-Com
President and CEO Sam Smookler. "This transaction is part of our
ongoing program to strengthen our balance sheet, improve our
competitiveness and position P-Com for long-term growth." NORT's
CEO Giorgio Pertusati said: "We are extremely pleased to broaden
our relationship with P-Com. This transaction, which reflects
NORT's ability to deliver world-class outsourcing services, allows
P-Com to focus on its broader business objectives, while
maintaining the highest quality standards in its repair
operations." Over the past two years, P-Com has executed a
successful financial restructuring that eliminated a substantial
portion of its debt, substantially cut operating expenses and
refocused its operations. In April, P-Com reported its fourth
consecutive quarter of higher sales and gross margins. About P-Com,
Inc. P-Com, Inc. develops, manufactures, and markets
point-to-point, spread spectrum and point-to-multipoint, wireless
access systems to the worldwide telecommunications market. P-Com
broadband wireless access systems are designed to satisfy the
high-speed, integrated network requirements of Internet access
associated with Business to Business and E-Commerce business
processes. Cellular and personal communications service (PCS)
providers utilize P-Com point-to-point systems to provide backhaul
between base stations and mobile switching centers. Government,
utility, and business entities use P-Com systems in public and
private network applications. For more information visit
http://www.p-com.com/ or call 408-866-3660. About NORT, S.r.l.
Nuove Officine Radio Tortona (NORT S.r.l.) is an Italian company
specializing in the development, manufacture, repair and
maintenance of wireless link components. With its wide range of
transceivers, synthesizers and amplifiers, NORT is a leading
provider of high quality components for the world's largest
wireless system manufacturers for broadcasting, telecom, rural
telephony, and defense applications. For more information visit
http://www.nortradio.com/ or call +39-0131-881850. Safe Harbor
Statement Statements in this release that are forward looking
involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause
P-Com's actual results in future periods to be materially different
from any future performance that may be suggested in this
conference call. Such factors may include, but are not limited to:
the ability to achieve positive cash flow given the Company's
existing and anticipated operating and other costs, and current
sales trends; the Company's deteriorating cash position and its
need to raise additional capital, and whether that capital is
available on acceptable terms, if at all; the Company's ability to
negotiate repayment terms with many of its creditors, and settle
outstanding litigation; a continued severe worldwide slowdown in
the telecommunications equipment and services sector; fluctuations
in customer demand, pricing and competition; reliance upon
subcontractors; the ability of P-Com's customers to finance their
purchases; the timing of new technology and product introductions;
and the risk of early obsolescence. Many of these risks and
uncertainties are beyond P-Com's control. Reference is made to the
discussion of risk factors detailed in P-Com's filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, including its reports on Form
10-K and 10-Q. Media Contact: Investor Contact: Greg Berardi Dan
Rumsey, General Counsel and Acting CFO +1-415-239-7826
+1-408-866-3666 DATASOURCE: P-Com, Inc. CONTACT: media, Greg
Berardi, +1-415-239-7826, or , for P-Com, Inc.; or investors, Dan
Rumsey, General Counsel and Acting CFO, of P-Com, Inc.,
+1-408-866-3666, or Web site: http://www.nortradio.com/ Web site:
http://www.p-com.com/
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