Edmund Optics expands operations in Japan with new facility

The Saito Optics division of Edmund Optics (Barrington, NJ, USA) has expanded its precision optical manufacturing capability to serve the growing Japanese markets for semiconductor manufacturing, robotics, and solar energy businesses, as well as support the needs of Edmund Optics' global customers. Additionally, Edmund Optics recently moved its center of operations from Tokyo to a 80,000-sq-ft (7432 meters) facility in Akita.

In the new facility it will not only be expanding its manufacturing capabilities, but will further enhance its product inventory and customer support operation. The company's remodeled office in Tokyo will continue to provide local service to customers via a technical team and several sales representative.

"Our new Akita-region facility in the city of Yuzawa gives us three times the factory space and larger administrative and warehousing capacity than we could hope to obtain in Tokyo,' said Timothy Paul Kennedy, president of Edmund Optics Japan. "This will allow us to better serve our customers and provide quicker delivery as well as provide growth opportunities for vertical integration of our precision optical manufacturing." The facility formally opened on June 10, 2010, in a ceremony attended by EO executives, the Yuzawa mayor's office, and officials of the Akita Prefecture.

According to Walter Czajkowski, EO's vice president of global manufacturing, the newly expanded Akita facility will make key manufacturing capabilities locally available to Japanese customers as well as supplementing the company's factories in the US, Singapore, and China. The facility has already added precision coating to EO's Japan operations, and plans are in place to add cementing capability as well as new polishing machines for improved production.

In addition to investing in its operation in Akita, Edmund Optics opened a new sales office in Osaka. With further sites planned the company sees the development of new local offices and retention of its support center in Tokyo as key in providing service and technical advice to its customers throughout Japan.

Edmund Optics first started conducting business in Japan in the 1950s when Norman Edmund, founder of Edmund Optics, began sourcing precision optics from Japan. The company employs over 16% of its global workforce in Japan.

SOURCE: Edmund Optics

Posted by Vision Systems Design