Cree sells LED business

[louie]

It looks like Cree is leaving the LED business, selling it to "Smart Global Holdings."

https://epsnews.com/2020/10/23/cree-divests-led-business-to-focus-on-sic-and-gan-devices/

 

[mercrazy]

yep, china killed another American business.
where does it end?

 

[Kestrel]

Hello mercrazy;
While I may personally agree with at least part of your last post, the second part of it in particular really doesn't send us in a constructive direction re: this discussion subforum - so it's probably best if we don't explore that aspect here, for the time being.
Thank you & best regards,

 

[bykfixer]

Looks like a smart move to me.
Go where the next big revenue source is likely to come from and sell off the portion of the company that is in a saturated market for some cash to invest into the new direction.
Kinda like Olympus sold off their camera division not long ago. The thing that made them famous became a ball and chain later down the road. The global market place is a double edge sword.

 

[richbuff]

Cree without Leds? That's like Shaken, without Not stirred. Like Beam me up, without Scotty.

 

[ledbetter]

Thanks for the interesting article. Just bought some Cree bulbs though they were pricier than competitors. I knew what I was getting whereas some of the no name brands are a mystery until you try them out. Though I must say I only liked 75w equivalent and thought their higher power ones were too white. Probably my error since I like warmer tints indoors. Some of the lower cost led bulbs now have decent cri and lower temps. Maybe Cree can't compete.

Everyone on cpf know and love Cree but nothing stays still. I grew up with GE bulbs, Ford cars, Zenith tvs. Miss them but there's better stuff out there today.

 

[twentysixtwo]

I've been a CREE stockholder for many years...so while I am somewhat saddened, I'm also aware of the business reasons - LEDs have become something of a commodity while CREE's semiconductor expertise has more value add. I'm in the automotive industry and the move to 400V and 800V will take a pile of Silicon Carbide, of which CREE is one of the technological leaders.....

 

[idleprocess]

I've been a CREE stockholder for many years...so while I am somewhat saddened, I'm also aware of the business reasons - LEDs have become something of a commodity while CREE's semiconductor expertise has more value add.

What happened to CFLs happened to LED light bulbs. For every high-end purpose-built LED fixture there are probably a dozen or more commodity fixtures sold, built to the lowest possible price. LEDs for most general lighting - where much of the volume seems to be - have likely reached the point where they simply need to be 'good enough' since that's the realm of the low- and mid-power LED.

If I recall, Cree got their start in SiC so hopefully that will be a good business for them going forward.