SPRING | 2010

inside littelfuse
A BRAND BUILT ON EXPERTISE IT ALL STARTS WITH YOU

in this issue:
Feature Articles
1 2 3 3 4 5 Difficult Decisions Result in Growth Customer Service Consolidated Des Plaines Lab Now at Chicago HQ Tech Center Opens Startco Expands Chen-Ming Wang Appointed EBU VP, GM

Associate Relations
4 5 6 6 Philippines PICO Team Saves Costs Piedras Negras Lean Leader Training Lean, Six Sigma at Philippines China HR Associates Honored

Customer Relations
7 Clear Cover MIDI Fuses 7 Teamwork Results in Safety Plus New Product

DIFFICULT DECISIONS RESULT IN POSITIVE GROWTH AND NEW OPPORTUNITIES

By making a number of difficult decisions over the past year, Littelfuse is starting to recover from one of the worst global economic downturns in history. All Littelfuse associates played a key role in paving the road to recovery, said CEO Gordon Hunter. These strategic changes made Littelfuse a stronger, more responsive company poised for future growth. In 2008, our markets were in free fall as the world economy was weakening daily, he said in a recent quarterly business review. Today, we are climbing out of this trough and are cautiously optimistic about the near term future. Your hard work these past months have helped us to move forward with our mission to return to sustainable profitability and to outperform our competitors as the global economy recovers. Evidence of that hard work can be found in every Business Unit and at every facility. For example:
n Piedras Negras has stepped up to Lean Leader n Asia electronics business has rebounded,

Littelfuse in the News

8 8 9 9 10 10 LF Among Chinas Top Electronics Suppliers EBU Team Earns Supplier Excellence Award LF Ranks in Top 100 on InformationWeek 500 (Product of the Year) Category Winner EBU Contributes to FireWire Design Guide Up-LINK is Product of the Year Finalist

Financials
11 Strong Fourth Quarter Finish 11 2009 Annual Report Released

especially in Korea, where the Littelfuse EBU team secured a multi-million dollar win with Samsung for the new Silicon Protection Array (SPA) product offering.
n By re-engineering products for new applications,

Organizational Developments
12 Global Sales Teams Ramp Up

ABUs Off Road, Truck and Bus (OTB) sales team has won major new business with a global leader in commercial trucking (see story, page 7).
n A core team of multi-lingual, multi-cultural associ-

ates is being assembled at the Philippines facility, consolidating global customer service at a single location with 24/7 accessibility (see story, page 2).
n To take advantage of new business growth, the

Training (see story, page 5).

n Since its acquisition, Littelfuse Startco has

EBU expanded its Asian, European and North American sales teams (see article, page 12).
n Leading these teams is newly appointed EBU Vice

grown significantly, moving to a larger production facility to meet increased demand for its custom power centers (see story, page 4).

President and General Manager Chen-Ming (Charley) Wang (see story, page 5).
continued on page 2

A BRAND BUILT ON EXPERTISE

IT ALL STARTS WITH YOU

DIFFICULT DECISIONS RESULT IN POSITIVE GROWTH AND NEW OPPORTUNITIES

continued from page 1

n Research and development efforts have been

maintained, thanks to the new Chicago Test Lab based at the companys corporate office (see article, page 3) and new Technical Center at the University of Illinois Research Park (see article, page 3)
n Now in development are new strategic objec-

tives reinforcing the Lean, Simplification and Sustained Profitability initiatives that have greatly contributed to Littelfuses recovery. The past two years have been more challenging than almost any other time in the companys 83-year history, added Gordon. But we pulled together. We worked through some tough decisions and implemented strategies that are good for our company, employees, customers and shareholders over the long term. We are not yet where we want to be. Thats why we need to stay focused on achieving our mission and making further progress on our strategic initiatives. With your help, we can all look forward to better times ahead. n

LITTELFUSE CONSOLIDATES CUSTOMER SERVICE LOCATIONS INTO ONE

By the end of this year, 12 customer service locations will be consolidated into a global Customer Service Center at the Philippines facility, accessible 24 hours a day. When complete, it will allow the Automotive, Electronics, Electrical (POWR-GARD) and Silicon Product Business Units to share customer service costs, technology and manpower, enabling Littelfuse to better respond to marketplace demands and pursue long-term growth strategies. Leading the transition over the past 18 months has been Global Inside Sales and Customer Service Director Ron Hess. The Philippines has grown into one of our premier manufacturing sites, he said. They have the processes in place to support a global team of customer service representatives (CSRs) capable of responding to virtually any order or request. Co-locating Customer Service alongside the Master Scheduling team at the Philippines facility also is expected to cut the amount of time needed to respond and react to customer requests. According to Ron, the concept of sharing functions such as customer service has emerged as a best practice among companies worldwide, resulting in more cost-effective and flexible organizations capable of adding new business units or expanding to other geographic areas without impacting the rest of the organization. Sharing services also frees up other associates time, enabling them to take on additional assignments that ultimately benefit the entire company. The Littelfuse international CSR team is composed of foreign nationals with broad cultural experiences gained from living in other countries, associates who transferred to the Philippines from other facilities, individuals fluent in the same languages as customers and SAP professionals with solid problem-solving and communications skills. Leading the team is newly appointed Customer Service Manager Pam Perez, whose 10-plus years of prior work experience includes managing North American and European Customer Service for SunPower. Pam is also responsible for supporting global order management for the Silicon, Electronics and Automotive Business Units and leading Southeast Asia Inside Sales activities. Benchmarking data indicates that the new CSR is already proving to be successful. Weve received very good feedback from our customers, said Ron, noting that the transition is more than 60% completed, with CSRs in the Philippines fielding calls from customers in China, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Japan. Other regions will follow. n

KEY TO ELEMENTS SUPPORTING LITTELFUSE STRATEGIC OBjECTIVES

Stories reflecting the key elements that support Littelfuses strategic objectives are identified by the icons shown below: Design-wins Develop products for customers specific applications Channel excellence Train and support distributors and sales teams so they can better serve customers
| SPRING 2010 2

Asia Strength Build the Asia organization to meet customers needs in the region Lean Enterprise Develop a companywide culture focused on improving processes and reducing waste, increasing efficiency and customer responsiveness.

DES PLAINES PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT LAB REOPENS AT CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS IN CHICAGO

Technology expertise and new product development are the foundation of Littelfuses global leadership in circuit protection. Thats why, despite the challenging economy, the company will continue to invest in Research and Development. Complementing the capabilities of the Littelfuse Technology Center now being built in Champaign, Illinois is the Product Development Lab, which was recently relocated from the Des Plaines facility to corporate headquarters in Chicago. With its close proximity to OHare International Because the lab occupies floor Airport, our headquarters Product Development Lab space that previously was vacant, can be easily accessed by our customers as well as associates from other facilities, said Chief its cost-effective, reinforcing our Information Officer Ed Earl, who led the six-month Lean initiatives. project. And because the lab occupies floor space Ed Earl, Chief Information Officer that previously was vacant, its cost-effective, reinforcing our Lean initiatives. According to Ed, the test center consists of a larger lab for general use and a smaller AC Power Cross System lab for higher voltage, higher current testing. Together, they enable engineering associates from each Business Unit to evaluate fuses for customers applications, design new circuit protection technologies and perform a variety of product development activities in-house. Electronics engineers, for example, will generate low voltage time-current curves, conduct product and application testing and inspect finished parts. The POWR-GARD Electrical Business Unit plans to run similar tests, as well as run a three-dimensional printer for part modeling. Automotive engineers at the lab will be involved in designing, developing and testing new circuit protection technologies and applications. Engineers in the Silicon Business Unit will conduct application testing using voltage and current waveform generators, semiconductor and radio frequency characterization equipment and other systems. The opening of the Chicago Test Lab also supports the final closing of the Des Plaines facility a major milestone in the companys history. n

TECHNICAL CENTER OPENS IN HIGH TECH RESEARCH PARK

A major initiative underway for almost two years has finally come to fruition. In March, Littelfuse opened the doors to its new Technical Center a 14,500 square foot, state-of-the-art facility strategically located in the Research Park at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). With its enhanced capabilities, this new facility will enable us to accelerate new product development as well as test existing products so that they meet or exceed our customers performance and compliance requirements, said POWR-GARD Engineering Director Mark Klinger. In addition, we have begun the implementation of Lean practices to improve efficiency of our testing processes with the goal of having more lab time available for our external customers. Supporting those objectives are POWR-GARD engineering associates from the former Arcola facility, and engineering associates who previously worked at the Des Plaines facility. In-house capabilities include overcurrent and overvoltage testing, as well as material analysis and reliability testing. A key feature is Littelfuses High Power Lab, where fuses can be tested under extremely large currents up to 35,000 amps. Being based on the UIUC campus provides Littelfuse with access to university labs, engineering professors and students a rich pool of talent that has already contributed to the research and development conducted by other high-tech companies residing in the park. More than 70 global technology leaders have facilities in the Research Park, including Yahoo, Caterpillar, John Deere, Qualcomm and Wolfram Research. n

FPO--New pic to come

that the generator at the new Technical Centers High Power Lab weighs over 65,000 lbs?
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A BRAND BUILT ON EXPERTISE

IT ALL STARTS WITH YOU

LITTELFUSE STARTCO EXPANDS TO MEET GROWING CUSTOMER DEMAND

Much has happened since POWR-GARD acquired Startco Engineering, Ltd., a leading supplier of protection relays and custom power distribution centers, in September 2008. Despite the economic downturn, Littelfuse Startco has increased sales 20% over the previous year, opened a new facility with expanded production capabilities, held its first round of Lean training and begun implementing Value Stream Mapping and Kaizen events. We acquired Startco to complement our technology portfolio and expand our protection relay expertise, said Dan Stanek, General Manager, Littelfuse Startco, to the 150-plus customers, government officials and guests attending the facilitys grand opening. Today, we have a new building that more than doubles our production capacity, allowing us to better serve our customers. Located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, the 67,500 sq. ft. (20,574 square meters) building features an enlarged production floor, more office space for engineering, a research and development lab, and an expanded electronics assembly area with upgraded testing equipment. Moving into the larger facility was crucial, especially with Startcos growing sales of custom power centers. The main obstacle we faced was the need for more production capacity, said Dan. With this new building, we are now in a position to take on more business. We are now directing our efforts at expanding the protection relay product line into the U.S. through our existing electrical distribution channel and leverage the Littelfuse global sales force to grow this business internationally, said Dal Ferbert, Vice President and General Manager, Electrical Business Unit. We are also looking at new markets and geographies for the future expansion of the custom products business. n
Using their expertise in Lean concepts, the Philippines PICO Team has saved more than $125,000 in annual scrap costs.

PHILIPPINES PICO TEAM SHORTENS LEADS, SAVING COSTS

For more than 28 years, 100% of the leads used on PICO fuses were 1.5 long. Recently however, only 15% of customers are ordering 1.5 leads while 85% order leads that are 1.09 long. The excess lead length was then being trimmed during the process and discarded as scrap. Recognizing the waste, the PICO Team took actions to eliminate it. Led by Process Engineer Ernest Manuel and Maintenance Supervisor Dennis Arce, they used their expertise in Lean concepts to set a series of corrective actions in motion to change the process and standardize use of the shorter leads. This was not a simple change. Six full assembly lines and hundreds of fixtures required modifications. The team also had to consult with customers, especially those who were still using the 1.5 leads. But once we told them about our Lean initiatives, they gave their full support, enabling us to move forward, said Ernest. After adjusting Thanks to the collective effort machines and modifying feeders to convey the of our engineers, planners, shorter leads, the team technicians and associates, used Six Sigma to we expect to save more than validate the changes, $125,000 annually in scrap costs making sure that janus Pagharion, PICO process yields and Production Manager product quality would not be impacted. Because the team was resourceful in keeping the cost of the modifications low, the project will pay back in just three months. Thanks to the collective effort of our engineers, planners, technicians and associates, we expect to save more than $125,000 annually in scrap costs, said PICO Production Manager Janus Pagharion. n

| SPRING 2010

The new Startco manufacturing facility in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan has double the production capacity.

PIEDRAS NEGRAS KICKS OFF NEXT WAVE OF LEAN LEADER TRAINING

The critical Lean Leader Training that began at Littelfuses corporate headquarters last year is now spreading outward to other locations. First among them is Piedras Negras, which recently appointed its first group of associates Productivity Systems Engineer Bibiana Valdez, Manufacturing Engineering Leader Ricardo Sanchez and Senior Project Engineer jesus Calderon to undergo the intense program. Bibiana, Ricardo and Jesus represent the next wave of Lean Leader Training, said Ryan Stafford, Executive Sponsor of the Littelfuse Lean Enterprise Initiative. Once their education is complete, they can train fellow associates and lead Lean projects that will benefit the entire enterprise. There is another benefit as well. Associates who experience Value Stream Mapping or Kaizen events not only contribute to productivity improvements and waste reductions, said Ryan, they also experience a sense of empowerment to make the decisions necessary to doing their jobs. That is especially true at Piedras Negras, judging from the success of the Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) workshop held there last December. TPM is already helping me to do my work more efficiently, said POWR-GARD Midget Line Operator Juan Jose Trujillo, one of the 14 associates participating in the event. It is also motivating associates such as North American Logistics and Scheduling Manager Brett Staniszeski and POWR-GARD Production Manager Rodolfo Echeverria to look for Lean opportunities in the Midget production line processes. Brett and Rodolfo used Value Stream Mapping (VSM) to pinpoint unnecessary activities and save hours of time. Sharing the VSM with other operators brought additional suggestions, all integrated into a single action plan. Were all starting to speak the same Lean language, said Production Supervisor Victor Sonora. Lean is benefiting Piedras Negras front office as well, where IT Manager Carlos Rojas demonstrated that replacing multiple copy machine passwords with one would save over 100 hours of time and made work easier for associates. I love the fact that we can use the same password for all copiers, said POWR-GARD HR Supervisor Nora Riojas. Another team led by Piedras Negras Site Accounting Manager Nancy Delgado used VSM to analyze and improve payroll processes, cutting cycle time in half, eliminating errors and freeing hours of associates time in the process. Now that weve addressed these problems, my job is much less stressful, said Payroll Aide Silvia Veloz. These examples show how associates are stepping forward with Lean ideas, added Ryan. That should increase even more this year. Lean Leader Training is already underway at the Philippines facility and is spreading to other Littelfuse sites as well. Human Resources Director Mike Yorke, who completed Lean Leader Training last year, will soon begin serving as a full-time HR Lean Leader, reinforcing and guiding the companys Lean efforts. n

CHEN-MING WANG APPOINTED EBU VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER

Littelfuse recently appointed Chen-Ming (Charley) Wang as Vice President and General Manager of the Electronics Business Unit, reinforcing its global presence while adding to the multinational depth of its management team. Chen-Ming brings a broad range of global electronics industry experience, operational management know-how and in-depth knowledge of strategic planning and new business development, said President and CEO Gordon Hunter, to whom Chen-Ming reports. A native of Taiwan, Chen-Ming is based at the Taipei facility, where his primary responsibilities are to drive the EBUs continued success and ongoing growth throughout the Asia region. Most recently, he served as Vice President of the computer business group at Lite-On Technology, a leading global supplier of innovative communication and consumer electronic products, including PC system boards, enclosures, imaging products, network products, power supplies, phone camera modules and LEDs. At Lite-On, he also gained substantial multinational experience working with customers in the U.S., Mexico, Malaysia and the Chinese mainland. These experiences make him uniquely suited to lead our Electronics Business Unit and strengthen our already talented EBU leadership team, added Gordon. n

that Littelfuse Startco electronic sensors were used to detect line violations in curling events at the 2010 Winter Olympics?

INSIDE LITTELFUSE | 5

A BRAND BUILT ON EXPERTISE

IT ALL STARTS WITH YOU

PHILIPPINES USES LEAN, SIX SIGMA TO REDUCE SOLDERING DEFECTS

By utilizing Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma techniques, the Philippines TR/TE team has cut soldering defects from 2.45% to 0.64%. In the process, they have significantly improved quality as well as customer responsiveness while reducing waste and unnecessary costs. It began in 2008, when the TR/TE team noticed that soldering defects during production were causing an increasing number of rejects, prompting them to set corrective actions in motion that year and the next. A customer complaint then propelled us to take our improvement efforts to a much higher level, said Production Manager Janus Pagharion. We organized focused Tiger Teams and drew on structured problem-solving techniques to find corrective and preventive actions. After identifying all possible root causes, the team used its expertise in Lean and Six Sigma to develop concrete solutions. We made all associates aware of the situation, provided training, corrected machine problems, verified production processes and used the Design of Experiments (DOE) approach to optimize soldering parameters, said Production Engineer Randy Servancia. Supporting them were associates throughout the facility as well as customers, many of whom pitched in with possible solutions. After performing all of the corrective actions, the team saw defects plummet to 0.17% by the end of 2009, enabling them to preserve business relationships with key customers. Whats more, the reduction in scrap is expected to save more than $40,000 annually. While progress has been made, the project is not yet complete. In the true spirit of Lean, the team is focused on making additional improvements with the goal of achieving zero defects. One production line has already hit the 0.05% mark on a sustained basis. n
| SPRING 2010

Ryan Stafford (left) congratulates Kathy Lv for being named a Top Ten HR Manager by the Wuxi, China government. Mary Dong (above) won the same award from Suzhou officials.

HR ASSOCIATES HONORED IN CHINA

Two members of Littelfuses international Human Resources team are among the select group of HR professionals recently recognized for their achievements with high-profile awards from the Chinese government. Asia HR Director Mary Dong was named a Top Ten HR Manager by the Suzhou government, while Wuxi HR Manager Kathy Lv earned the same distinction from Wuxi officials. Organized and presented every two years, the awards recognize HR professionals who demonstrate high levels of competence in communications, creative thinking, problem solving, improvement strategies, HR processes and other key areas. With so many HR professionals working throughout Chinas industrial parks, the event draws thousands of entrants, and those who win gain considerable exposure for their companies. At Littelfuse, we have made a concerted effort to hire the best talent for our organization, especially in key leadership positions such as HR management, which have a direct impact on other associates throughout the company, said General Counsel and HR Vice President Ryan Stafford. These awards directly reflect the high quality of people being attracted to Littelfuse.

At Littelfuse, we have made a concerted effort to hire the best talent for our facilities, especially in key leadership positions such as HR management, which have a direct impact on other associates throughout the facility Ryan Stafford, General Counsel and HR Vice President
Since joining Littelfuse in 2007, both Mary and Kathy have initiated numerous HR policies, strengthened key procedures and broadened communications channels. These accomplishments factored into both associates being honored with the top HR Manager awards. n

CLEAR COVER MIDI FUSES NOW PROTECTING HEAVY-DUTY TRUCKS

The newest, sleekest heavy-duty trucks on the road are now equipped with high power MIDI fuses, thanks to a major new business win gained by the ABUs Off-road, Truck and Bus (OTB) market segment. Whats more, it has the potential of resulting in additional new business growth in the commercial truck and marine markets. This is a very big milestone for us, said ABU North American Account Manager Chad Schnepf. According to Chad, the opportunity arose through Littelfuse sales rep Temco Northwest after meeting with Blue Sea Systems, one of the worlds leading suppliers of electrical products for the marine market. Previously using a competitors brand of fuse, Blue Sea was exploring circuit protection alternatives for their new company, Terra Power Systems, which supplies power distribution systems for heavy-duty trucks and off-road vehicles. Because of the high vibration, corrosive road conditions and extreme temperatures common to heavy-duty trucks, Terra needed a rugged, compact fuse that would provide high power protection under severe operating conditions. To prevent unnecessary downtime, they also wanted to be able to spot blown fuses quickly. Working with Temco, the OTB team found a simple solution a MIDI fuse initially designed for Asia automotive applications. Unlike traditional MIDI fuses used in North America and Europe, this particular design had a clear plastic cover over the fuse element, making it easy to identify when blown, said Chad. The clear-cover MIDI fuse was ideal for Terras heavy-duty truck application. With an increased interrupting rating of 5,000 amps, it also meets the high power requirements of Blue Seas marine applications. Littelfuse and Temco are now pursuing these and additional opportunities in both markets. n

Littelfuse MIDI fuse are featured in a new catalog published by their customer, Terra Power Systems.

TEAMWORK RESULTS IN GREATER SAFETY, EFFICIENCY PLUS NEW PRODUCT

Iowa-based Musco Lighting is the industry leader in sports-lighting technology, providing solutions for small baseball fields and sports stadiums to professional arenas and racetracks. Musco strives for safety improvements in all of its products. To meet global standards, Musco began using POWR-GARD Touch Safe Midget-Style fuseholders inside its lights control boxes in 2007. Company leaders, however, recognized that while the open-face design did the job, it needed improvement. The problem: existing Dead Front Midget-Style fuseholders did not have the quick-connect terminals of Littelfuse Open Face L60030M Series Fuseholders, so Musco turned to Littelfuse for a solution. After working directly with Musco representatives, Littelfuse Engineers Todd Phillips and Nathan Siegwald designed an IP20 Touch Safe Midget-Style holder with QC terminals. By making the holder IP20 Touch Safe and adding local LED indication to it, Littelfuse delivered a better performing fuseholder that fits in the same space. Musco has now begun replacing the older-style holders with the new and improved technology. Now that Muscos needs have been met, Littelfuse is also going to include the fuseholder in

its general product offering. According to the POWR-GARD OEM team, the solution is a great example of doing more with less. Watch for the new product this summer when it appears in POWR-GARDs new catalog. n

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A BRAND BUILT ON EXPERTISE

IT ALL STARTS WITH YOU

LITTELFUSE NAMED ONE OF CHINAS LEADING ELECTRONICS SUPPLIERS

Littelfuse has been selected as one of Chinas leading electronics suppliers, winning a 2009 China Market Electronics Component Manufacturer Award (CMECMA). The annual competition is coordinated by China Electronic Market Magazine in conjunction with Cntronics.com and the China Electronics Fairs organizing committee. Presented at the China Electronics Fair in Shanghai, the awards are the result of an annual industry survey measuring the purchasing preferences of key decision makers at Chinas leading electronics companies. Over 1,700 survey respondents evaluated Littelfuse and other suppliers on such criteria as their brand strategy, how well products met customers needs, competitive advantages, quality control, technical support, cost/performance ratio and localization of research and development operations. Were very proud to be recognized with this award, said Naoto Mizuta, Director of Fuse Product Business and EBU Marketing Communications. Littelfuse has amassed over 80 years of circuit protection expertise. Throughout that time, we have been firmly committed to our customers, providing them with design support, product and application testing and an array of value-added services. As a result, our customers in China and worldwide place a high amount of trust in the Littelfuse brand of circuit protection technologies. Asia Regional Marketing Communications Manager Fiona Lui agreed, adding, Our products are perceived as being very cost-effective, good quality and high technology. We are well positioned to serve customers throughout the region. n

Littelfuse associates are honored as they accept the 2009 China Market Electronics Component Manufacturer Award presented at the China Electronics Fair in Shanghai.

Representatives from Cntronics.com interviewed Naoto Mizuta to learn more about Littelfuse.

Contributing additional information on Littelfuse was Albert Chen, Taiwan Sales Director and SEA and Asia EMS.

TEAM MEETS CHALLENGE TO EARN TOP SUPPLIER EXCELLENCE AWARD

Last year, CEO Gordon Hunter challenged a team of associates led by Corporate Distribution Manager Dawn Manhart to achieve what had been an unreachable goal to earn the annual Supplier Excellence Award from TTI, Inc., a major customer and one of the worlds leading electronics distributors. That challenge spurred the team to action, analyzing data, implementing procedures and embracing the Lean Enterprise principles needed for Littelfuse to become one of only seven suppliers who will be honored with TTIs award in May. Special recognition goes to Littelfuse for being a first time winner, said Melanie Pizzey, TTI Vice President of Global Product Operations. The economic situation in 2009 created some great challenges for our industry, but Littelfuse continued to maintain high levels of service and quality. Created in 1995, TTIs program uses quality measurements to assess each supplier for their on-time delivery, customer service, operational excellence and other performance factors. To get to this level of appreciation from one of our most demanding customers is outstanding, said Gordon. Thanks to all of you for taking on the challenge directly and committing to achieve the end result. This award did not come easily, said Dawn. A big thank you goes to team members Tanya Burl, Cathy Whittaker, Mike Yorke and Dennis Atkinson. With continued persistence and execution of Lean principals, I am confident that we will not only surpass our competition but be the Best in Class supplier to all of our partners. n

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EC&M AWARDS LITTELFUSE PRODUCT OF THE YEAR CATEGORY WINNER

The Littelfuse PGR-5330 advanced groundfault and resistor-monitoring relay has won electrical Construction & maintenance (EC&M) magazines Product of the Year in its category. The EC&M Product of the Year competition honors excellence in new product development in the electrical industry by recognizing inventive products that help electrical professionals do their jobs more efficiently and effectively. Our goal is to design smart products that improve electrical safety and productivity for our customers, said Maureen Janosch, POWR-GARD Electrical Business Unit Marketing Manager. The PGR-5330 is the only product of its kind on the market. It ensures safety and reliability of the power system by continuously monitoring the integrity of the neutral-grounding resistor, a critical component in the grounding system. The result of over 20 years experience in making resistor-monitoring components, the PGR-5330 is a microprocessor-based relay that filters out system noise from modern electronics. It can connect to Ethernet, DeviceNet or Profibus networks. A full-scale, ground-fault relay with pulsing capability, it enables the user to quickly locate a ground-fault problem while maintaining operation. The PGR-5330 is the critical component that provides notification when there is a problem with the resistor. Without it, a resistor failure can go undetected until there is serious damage, and by then, its too late. explained Tony Locker, Product Manager, POWR-GARD Protection Relay Products. The PGR-5330 provides the vital early warning that can signal a serious problem before it happens. n

LITTELFUSE RANKED AMONG TOP 100 ON InformatIonWeek 500 LIST

For the second year in a row, the Global Information Technology Teams innovative use of business practices has resulted in Littelfuse being named a 2009 InformationWeek 500 company.

The annual list is sponsored by InformationWeek magazine, one of the most prestigious IT publications worldwide. Littelfuse rose to number 81 on the 2009 list from its 156th ranking the previous year, surpassing numerous firms that are larger and better known. Among those ranking among the top 100 with Littelfuse were such industry leaders as Ford Motor Company, Coca-Cola, Hewlett-Packard, FedEx and Google. Unique among corporate rankings, the InformationWeek 500 spotlights the power of innovation rather than large I.T. spending budgets. More than 1,200 U.S. firms annually apply for the prestigious ranking.

This award is an affirmation of our global teams hard work and Littelfuses commitment to delivering technology solutions for the circuit protection industry. Ed Earl, Chief Information Officer
Were thrilled to be among the top 100, said Chief Information Officer Ed Earl, who credits the Global I.T. teams support of Lean initiatives, combined with its efforts to reduce complexity and make continuous improvements while significantly reducing overall I.T. costs year over year, as major reasons for the significantly higher ranking. This award is an affirmation of our global teams hard work and Littelfuses commitment to delivering technology solutions for the circuit protection industry. n

that the High Power Lab performs over 25,000 tests annually?

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A BRAND BUILT ON EXPERTISE

IT ALL STARTS WITH YOU

LITTELFUSE FEATURED IN fIreWIre DESIGN GUIDE

A team of EBU and Silicon Product Business associates has been working behind the scenes, successfully getting Littelfuse circuit protection devices written into whitepapers, technical guides and authoritative reference pieces published by trade associations and professional groups serving the electronics industry worldwide. In the process, they are reinforcing branding efforts, putting Littelfuse data in front of design engineers who can potentially turn into new customers. The teams most recent accomplishment is contributing to the 2010 FireWire Design Guide. Published by the 1394 Trade Association, it provides recommendations for implementing FireWire (IEEE 1394) ports in applications ranging from consumer electronics (CD/DVD players, HDTVs, digital cameras) to more complex systems (personal computers, printers, web-cams, network hubs, home networks, industrial control systems and automotive electronic systems). Standards & Marketing Consultant Max Bassler chairs that organization on behalf of Littelfuse. Max also represents Littelfuse on the USB Implementers Forum, an organization writing standards, design guides and whitepapers for the next generation of USB. Through these types of activities, we can help drive awareness of our brand and demand for our products, added Director of Advanced Products Steve Whitney. We were also successful getting tough circuit protection recommendations written into a USB whitepaper for personal health care devices such as fitness, disease management and monitoring equipment, said Business Development Manager Jim Colby. According to Max, additional work is being Our continued success is a direct done to implement result of the teams networking with FireWire in automotive existing and potential customers in and security camera these and other standards groups network system applicaand keeping a watchful eye on our tions, and develop the USB 3.0 OTG (On the Go) competition. standard for cell phones Max Bassler, Standards & and other mobile devices. Marketing Consultant Our continued success is a direct result of the teams networking with existing and potential customers in these and other standards groups and keeping a watchful eye on our competition, he said. n

UP-LINK REMOTE INDICATION FUSEHOLDER NAMED PRODUCT OF THE YEAR FINALIST

The Littelfuse Up-LINK remote indication fuseholder was recently named a Product of the Year finalist by Plant engineering Magazine. Plant Engineering panel has a challenging task to select just a few finalists from many innovative and well-designed products, said Maureen Janosch, POWR-GARD Electrical Business Unit. We are very proud to be nominated. "Innovation had an outstanding year, as represented by the Product of the Year finalists," said Plant Engineering editor Bob Vavra. The 2009 finalists again show the willingness of manufacturing leaders to find better solutions to meet plant floor needs. Plant managers need to look at these products to find the best solutions to operate their plants smarter, safer and more efficiently." The Up-LINK communicating fuseholder provides plant managers and maintenance personnel with remote fuse status indication, so they can monitor technology from remote locations and receive instant open-fuse notification. Further, the IP20 touch-safe fuseholder minimizes exposure to live parts, increasing overall plant safety and efficiency. The Up-LINK technology connects to an existing system through a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) and offers a daisy-chain feature that requires only one I/O port for multiple fuseholders, explained Mike Swaim, Product Manager for POWR-GARD fuse products. Plants that utilize the Up-LINK technology have been able to locate open fuses faster and reduce downtime by an average of 70%. n
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STRONG FOURTH QUARTER FINISH SETS STAGE FOR 2010 GROWTH

We had a remarkably strong finish to an incredibly challenging year, said CEO Gordon Hunter about the companys fourth quarter sales of $127.9 million 10% higher than the previous quarter and a 21% increase over the fourth quarter of 2008. To finish as we did after starting the year with the worst quarter in the companys history is a great testament to the Littelfuse team, he added. We delivered on all of our cost reduction initiatives and were able to ramp-up production to meet the sharp demand increases in the latter part of the year, giving us a delivery advantage over many competitors. We also gained several important design wins that will benefit us in 2010 and beyond. The better-than-expected results were driven by strong sales in each Business Unit. The leader was the ABU, reporting respective increases of 32% and 11% over the fourth quarter of 2008 and third quarter of 2009, due to strong growth in Asia and business rebounds in the U.S. and Europe. For the EBU, that same growth propelled sales to increase 19% over last years fourth quarter and 11% over the third quarter. The POWR-GARD, Electrical Business Unit also finished strong, with increases of 12% over the fourth quarter of 2008 and 2% over the previous quarter due to record Startco sales. Although year-end sales of $430.1 million were 19% under 2008, Littelfuse is now on the upswing. In April, the company raised its first-quarter outlook, projecting sales of $144 million a 71% increase over the first quarter of 2009. Electronics and automotive demand is exceeding our forecast in all regions, and Startco is performing at the high end of expectations, said Gordon. Order rates and backlog for most products increased as we progressed through the first quarter. n

LITTELFUSE RELEASES ANNUAL REPORT

Despite an incredibly challenging year, Littelfuse finished 2009 remarkably strong, thanks to proactive decision-making and rapid response to changing market conditions. The Littelfuse 2009 Annual Report can be downloaded from the Littelfuse.com web site under the Investors tab. Or go to the myLittlelfuse home page and look in the Shared Documents section. n

that the roof of the Des Plaines generator building had to be taken off in order to remove the generator for transfer to the new High Power Lab?

INSIDE LITTELFUSE | 11

A BRAND BUILT ON EXPERTISE

IT ALL STARTS WITH YOU

GLOBAL SALES TEAMS RAMP UP

Electronics and automotive sales are exceeding our expectations in all regions due primarily to the strength of the global economic recovery, said Chief Executive Officer Gordon Hunter recently, noting production ramp-ups across the companys product lines. Adding depth to the European team is newly appointed Central Europe Regional Sales Manager Andreas Frank, who joined Littelfuse after gaining significant experience with such industry leaders as EBV Electronics, On Semiconductor and Nu Horizon Electronics. Based in Munich, Andreas reports directly to Ian Highley, General Manager, Silicon Product Business, and Acting EBU and Silicon Product Business European Sales Director. Supporting Andreas is Deepaks technical sales experience and understanding of Daria (Grosser) Kriegs, global channels makes him a strong leader for the electronics who was recently promoted to a new post as growth we expect in the years ahead, Regional Sales Manager. Chen-Ming Wang, EBU Vice President and General Manager EBUs North American sales team has also added to its ranks, appointing Peter Kim as North Central leader for the electronics growth we expect in the Regional Sales Manager, reporting to North America years ahead, said EBU Vice President and General OEM Sales Director Thane Parker. Peter joined Manager Chen-Ming (Charley) Wang. Deepak Littelfuse more than six years ago, most recently also will manage EBUs new agreement to sell serving as Global Purchasing Director as well as POWR-GARD products in Asia and EMEA (Europe, playing integral roles in the companys Lean Enterprise the Middle East and Africa), an initiative he created and Corporate Strategy Development initiatives. in cooperation with Dan Gilman, POWR-GARD With these appointments, Littelfuse is poised Global Sales Engineering Director. to take advantage of new business opportunities New Asia team members include China Sales emerging in the global electronics market. n Distribution Manager Terry Xiao. A seasoned pro with more than a decade of electronic components experience, he most recently served as Central China Marketing Manager at Arrow Electronics. Terry is based in China and reports directly to Charley Wang. Also new is David Zha, Hong Kong-China Country Sales Manager, EBU and Silicon Product Business. With more than 10 years of experience in Chinas electronics components market, David is adept at designing products into customers applications, and will manage the Hong Kong-China sales teams. David succeeds former Hong Kong-China Sales Manager Albert Chen, who now manages Silicon Product Business sales activities for South East Asia in addition to serving as Taiwan Sales Director and SEA and Asia EMS. Reporting to Albert is Global Contract Electronics Manufacturers Manager Shaun Tan, who has taken on additional sales responsibilities for Malaysia. Ramped up and ready to respond to the increased demand is the Electronics Business Unit, which recently added depth and talent to its global sales teams. Leading the team is newly promoted Vice President of Global EBU Sales Deepak Nayar, responsible for electronics as well as silicon product growth. Deepaks technical sales experience and understanding of global channels makes him a strong

that the High Power Labs test area contains over eight tons of copper buss-bar?

inside littelfuse needs your input

Inside Littelfuse is a newsletter written for and about associates worldwide.
If you have an idea or article that should be included in a future issue, please email it to InsideLittelfuse@littelfuse.com or send it to: Littelfuse, Inc. ATTN: Inside Littelfuse Suite 500 8755 W. Higgins Road Chicago, IL 60631

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