History of Sanmina Corporation in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: May 19, 2025

Sanmina Corporation is a prominent American electronics manufacturing services (EMS) provider based in San Jose, California. Specializing in serving original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) within the communications and computer hardware sectors, Sanmina operates a vast network of nearly 80 manufacturing facilities globally. Renowned as one of the world's largest independent manufacturers of printed circuit boards and backplanes, Sanmina's significant presence in the industry is further underscored by its ranking at number 482 on the Fortune 500 list as of 2022.

1980: Sanmina Founded

In 1980, Sanmina was founded by Jure Sola and Milan Mandarić as a printed circuit board manufacturer and was named after Milan Mandarić's daughters Sandra and Jasmina.

1991: Jure Sola Becomes CEO and Chairman

In 1991, Jure Sola became the CEO and Chairman of Sanmina.

1993: Initial Public Offering

In 1993, Sanmina completed its initial public offering on NASDAQ.

December 2001: Merger with SCI Systems

In December 2001, Sanmina merged with SCI Systems of Huntsville, Alabama, for $6 billion in cash, stock, and debt.

2002: Acquisition of Viking Interworks

In 2002, Sanmina acquired Rancho Santa Margarita-based Viking Interworks for $15 million, with $10.9 million in cash and 390,000 shares of Sanmina stock worth $10.26 per share.

November 15, 2012: Name Change to Sanmina

On November 15, 2012, the company officially changed its name to Sanmina.

July 2, 2015: Acquisition of CertainSource Technology Group

On July 2, 2015, Sanmina announced the acquisition of the CertainSource Technology Group.

2015: Sanmina Operations in 2015

In 2015, Sanmina, based in San Jose, California, had 38,417 employees in over 27 countries across six continents, serving clients in various fields and providing a range of services.

October 2, 2017: Bob Eulau Becomes CEO

Effective October 2, 2017, Bob Eulau replaced co-founder Jure Sola as the CEO, with Sola then assuming the role of Executive Chairman of the Board.

May 11, 2018: Partnership with Ather Energy

On May 11, 2018, Ather Energy announced an agreement with Sanmina to develop and manufacture key components for its maiden scooter, with production taking place at Sanmina's facility in Chennai, India.

2019: Hartmut Liebel assumes role of CEO

In October 2019, Hartmut Liebel assumed the role of CEO

August 2020: Jure Sola Returns as CEO

In August 2020, Jure Sola returned as CEO of Sanmina.

March 3, 2021: Agreement with Astrotech Corporation

On March 3, 2021, Astrotech Corporation announced that its Astrotech Technologies, Inc. subsidiary has entered into an agreement with Sanmina Corporation to manufacture its mass spectrometry products, including 1st Detect’s TRACER 1000, and planned products from AgLAB and BreathTech.

2022: Ranked in Fortune 500 list

In 2022, Sanmina was ranked number 482 in the Fortune 500 list.

2023: Litigation with Dialight

In 2023, Sanmina was engaged in ongoing litigation with its former partner, Dialight, concerning the termination of their manufacturing services agreement.

2024: Fraudulent Inducement Trial

In 2024, the claims against Sanmina for fraudulent inducement proceeded to trial after a New York court rejected Sanmina’s bid to dismiss Dialight’s fraud allegations.