15 December, 2006
New Large-sized LCD Backlight Factory Begins Operations in China
On December 15, 2006, Omron Group company
Tama Fine Opto Co., Ltd. (TFO) began operations
at its new production base in Changshu, Jiangsu
Province, in China. The new facility, named Tama
Fine Opto (Changshu) Co., Ltd. (TFO-CH), is
equipped with a mass production system to
support TFO’s main business, which is the
development, production and marketing of
backlight units for large-sized LCD panels.
Rapid expansion of the large-sized LCD TV
market has spurred leading LCD makers in Japan,
Taiwan and Korea to enter the Chinese market.
The new production facility will allow TFO to
maintain close contact with major local LCD manufacturers, enabling rapid response to customer needs
and reinforcing its production capability while reducing costs through local procurement and production.
In April 2006, TFO began mass production and delivery of backlight units through its subcontractor in
Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province, and plans to establish another base in southern China. Together with the
company’s production and marketing base in Taiwan, these facilities will help TFO expand its business in
the greater China area.
TFO-CH’s opening ceremony was held on
December 18, with 150 people in attendance,
among them business associates and construction
representatives. Special guests included Changshu
City Mayor Jiankang Wang and various government
officials, such as members of the Administrative
Committee of the Changshu Economic
Development Zone. Attending from Japan were
ECB President Soichi Yukawa and Kuninori
Hamaguchi, Senior General Manager of ECB’s
Semiconductor Division Headquarters.
In his opening address, ECB President Yukawa
encouraged TFO-CH employees to contribute to
the development of the Chinese economy and to support improvement in the quality of life of Chinese
people, urging them to take a self-reliant approach. He also asked employees to strive for the continued
expansion of Omron’s operations in China, expressing his hope that TFO-CH will become a noteworthy
company there. Mayor Wang also gave a speech, expressing his hope for further growth of Omron’s
operations in China as well as his expectations for a strengthened, improved partnership in this new
stage of Japan-China relations.
After the ceremony, participants changed venues for a banquet at the nearby Crowne Plaza Hotel, where
TFO-CH Chairman Shuji Kotaki declared his resolve to promote business practices that live up to
Omron’s corporate core value of ‘working for the benefit of society’ and to conduct operations that are
firmly rooted in the local community. The banquet, in which all participants wished for mutual growth and
cultural development, promoted a spirit of
strengthened ties between China and Japan while
auspiciously celebrating the opening of TFO-CH.
Changshu City has been a sister city of Ayabe City,
Kyoto since May 1989.
Overview of TFO-CH
| Company
Name: |
TAMA Fine Opto (Changshu) Co., Ltd. |
| Date of Establishment: |
September 28, 2006 |
| Start of operations: |
December 15, 2006 |
| Business Lines: |
Manufacture of backlight units for large-size LCD panels |
| Representatives: |
Chairman: Shuji Kotaki
President: Hideo Nakai |
| Capital: |
US$2.6 million (Approx. JPY 290 million) |
| Investment Ratio: |
Tama Fine Opto Co., Ltd.: 90%
Omron (China) Co., Ltd.: 10% |
| Location: |
Changshu Economic Development Zone
Changshu, Jiangsu Province, China |
| Site Area: |
2,800m2 |
| Total Floor Area: |
7,300m2 |
| Employees: |
55 (As of November 30, 2006) |
| Production Capacity: |
100,000 units/ month (32 in. size, once facility is in operation) |
