Sumitomo, a major player in IT-related materials, is expanding its production bases for LCD-related materials. With the rapid growth of demand for large-screen LCD televisions in Europe, Sumitomo has decided to build a new plant in Poland's Pomeranian Special Economic Zone. The new company, named Sumika Electronic Materials Poland, will initially have a monthly capacity of 500,000 sets of polarizing film and a yearly capacity of 5,000 tons of light diffusion panels. The plant is expected to start operations in summer 2007 and will eventually employ up to 400 people. This move will strengthen Sumitomo's ability to supply LCD-related materials to European panel manufacturers.
August 7, 2006
Sumitomo has positioned IT-related materials as one of its major areas of focus,
centering on materials for liquid crystal displays (LCDs), and has been promoting an
aggressive global expansion of its production bases. Sumitomo currently manufactures
LCD-related materials in Japan, Korea, Taiwan and China, with a particular focus on
polarizing film. In Europe, demand for large-screen LCD televisions is showing rapid
growth, which has been accelerating the influx of LCD panel manufacturers into
Europe. Given this business climate, Sumitomo has been studying the construction of
a production base somewhere in Europe and has decided to build a new plant in the
Pomeranian Special Economic Zone outside the northern city of Toruń in Poland, where
one of its major customers, Sharp Corporation, has operations. This move will enable
Sumitomo to supply quality products and provide better customer services to the
thriving LCD-related industry in Europe.
The new company will be incorporated by late August after completing all legal
procedures, and will commence construction of the new plant as soon as the
construction permit is granted. The first facilities to be built will be a plant for the
chip-cut processing of polarizing film with a monthly capacity of 500 thousand sets and
a plant for the manufacture of light diffusion panels with a yearly capacity of 5,000 tons.
Both plants are scheduled to start operations in summer of 2007. The company will
expand capacity for both polarizing film and light diffusion panels as necessary to meet
demand from the major LCD panel manufacturers as they expand their businesses.
Establishing the European base of operations in Poland will further enhance
Sumitomo's ability to provide LCD-related materials promptly to panel manufacturers
with operations in Europe and offer a broader range of flexible services to its customers.
Sumitomo will take maximum advantage of its strengthened European operations to
further the global expansion of its core business of IT-related materials.
Summary of new company:
1. Company Name: Sumika Electronic Materials Poland Sp. Z o.o.
2. Established: Late August 2006 (planned)
3. Location: Lysomice, Torun, Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodship, Republic
of Poland
4. Area: Approx. 200 thousand m2 (including space for future
expansion)
5. Capacity: First phase
Polarizing film: 500,000 sets/mo. (converted to 37
inch screens)
Light diffusion panels: 5,000 tons/yr.
6. Start of operations; Summer 2007 (planned)
7. Personnel: Initially approx. 250 persons
To be increased ultimately to as many as 400 persons