Rochester Electronics

Rochester Electronics, LLC

Company type	Private
Industry	Semiconductor manufacturing and distribution
Founded	1981
Founder	Curt Gerrish
Headquarters	Newburyport, Massachusetts , United States
Area served	Worldwide
Products	Semiconductors (obsolete and end-of-life)

Rochester Electronics, LLC is a privately held American technology firm based in Newburyport, MA. The company specializes in manufacturing and distributing semiconductors worldwide that have become obsolete or are approaching the end of their lifecycle. With authorization from over 70 semiconductor manufacturers, Rochester Electronics possesses licenses to produce and supply chips no longer supported by their original producers.

History

Established in 1981 by Curt Gerrish, a former Motorola executive with 20 years of industry experience, Rochester Electronics was created to tackle the issue of semiconductor obsolescence encountered by businesses and government entities. Gerrish recognized a market need due to semiconductors having shorter lifespans than the products relying on them, inspiring him to form a company dedicated to distributing end-of-life semiconductor devices.

In March 1998, the company secured a Discontinued Parts Agreement with Cypress Semiconductor Corp (now part of Infineon Technologies), granting it rights to distribute Cypress's discontinued product lines.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, faced with supply chain interruptions and counterfeit threats, Rochester Electronics collaborated with electronic components distributor Digi-Key in 2021 to maintain steady access to essential parts. This partnership also led to Rochester joining the Digi-Key Marketplace, enhancing its commercial reach.

Expanding its product range further, Rochester entered into a collaboration with STMicroelectronics in September 2021 to provide an extended selection of active and end-of-life inventory. In March 2022, it formed an alliance with Kyoto Semiconductor to offer optical device solutions, broadening its presence in specialized semiconductor sectors.

Licensed manufacturing

Rochester Electronics holds over 12 billion silicon die stored under controlled conditions along with billions of finished products, enabling production of upwards of 70,000 different device types. In addition to distributing obsolete semiconductors, the company functions as a licensed semiconductor manufacturer for original equipment manufacturers by assembling and testing products. It also recreates parts when silicon or design documentation is unavailable, thereby prolonging the service life of vital components, especially within medical device applications.

Locations

• Corporate headquarters: Newburyport, Massachusetts, United States
• Technology and design centers: Rockville, Maryland and Burnsville, Minnesota
• Regional headquarters: Singapore, Tokyo, Japan; Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom
• Sales offices: Munich, Germany; Shanghai, China; Chandler, Arizona

Semiconductor anti-counterfeit awareness

Recognizing the essential role semiconductors play in safety-critical systems such as aviation and healthcare, counterfeit parts represent a serious hazard. Rochester Electronics spearheaded the creation of the Semiconductor Industry Association's Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force (ACTF) in 2006 and actively advocates for stringent procurement standards to prevent counterfeit and substandard semiconductors. This effort supports strengthening industry protocols and securing supply chain reliability.