To speed up the pace of its vertical integration, the Wistron Corp., one of Taiwan's leading manufacturers of information-technology products, recently formed ties with Ju Teng International Holdings Ltd. to strengthen its supply chain, Taiwan Headlines reported.

Wistron will cooperate with Ju Teng, a Taiwanese-invested firm listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, to set up a joint-venture molding plant in mainland China to roll out cases for notebook personal computers and game consoles.

H.M. Lin, chairman of Wistron, said his company would evaluate the feasibility of mergers and acquisitions with companies that will benefit its prospective operations and enhance its operating strength, and the cooperation with Ju Teng is Wistron's first step down this road.

With 20,000 workers and a production facility in eastern China, Ju Teng is a specialist manufacturer of cases for NBs, game consoles, and digital still cameras. At present, the company's two largest clients are Wistron and Asustek Computer Inc.