In addition, those subsidiaries are key players in the supply chain for factories in Japan.

FORBES: Japan's Economic Forecast, 2012-2013: A Business Perspective

Many key electronic component factories and design centers serving the memory and digital storage industry are located near high risk area for earthquakes and other natural disasters.

FORBES: Fragility and Recovery of Digital Storage Supply Chains

The realization that building more factories, a key strategy for First Solar and its competitors for over five years, had become a really bad idea prompted the company to decide roughly a year ago to spend more money on research, said CEO Jim Hughes during the analyst day.

FORBES: How First Solar Is Remaking Itself With New Tech And Leaders

About 45% of all HDD production and many key components were made in Thailand and many HDD factories and their supply chain were hard hit by the floods.

FORBES: Fragility and Recovery of Digital Storage Supply Chains

For at least the last week, flood waters have inundated parts of Thailand, including some key industrial zones, forcing hundreds of factories to shut down production.

FORBES: Will Thailand Floods Trigger Shortfalls In PC Production? (Updated)

March is considered a key month to assess manufacturing activity as data in January and February is skewed by the Lunar New Year Holiday when many factories are shut.

BBC: China manufacturing activity at 11-month high in March

The company also has just emerged from a spate of labor problems, with two local union strikes at key factories and a nearly three-month strike at key parts maker American Axle and Manufacturing Holdings.

FORBES: Magazine Article

The company also has just emerged from a spate of labor problems, with two local union strikes at key factories and a nearly three-month strike at key parts maker American Axle and Manufacturing Holdings (nyse: AXL - news - people ).

FORBES: GM's Late Wake-Up Call