UMC buys Sharp units in Europe

The Slovak unit of Universal Media Corporation (UMC) has agreed to acquire the European audio and video business of Sharp, the company said in a recent statement. The deal includes the takeover of Polish unit Sharp Manufacturing Poland (SMPL). It is scheduled to be finalized before the end of 2014. “UMC plans to revive the manufacturing volumes at SMPL. As such, UMC expects to hire additional staff to SMPL to support its sales plan,” the statement said. The unit now employs 700 people. It produces components for the Japanese electronics group.