Epson to invest ¥12.3B for new PH plant

MANILA, Philippines – Seiko Epson Corporation announced it will invest ¥12.3 billion ($102.57 million*) in its manufacturing subsidiary, Epson Precision (Philippines) Inc for the construction of a new plant in Lima Technology Center, Lipa City, Batangas.

In an announcement released Wednesday, December 3, Seiko said the new Philippine plant is eyed for increasing inkjet printer and 3LCD projector production volumes.

Epson has determined that its current inkjet printer and projector manufacturing facilities in China, Indonesia, and the Philippines are insufficient to meet expected demand.

In inkjet printers, the company is forecasting the need to significantly boost production capacity for its core high-capacity ink tank models. Its office inkjets are also beginning to make steady inroads into the market.

Epson also sees the need to increase projector production as it expands its line-up.

“With growing demand for projectors used in business and education, expanding commercial applications, and increasing penetration in emerging economies, Epson forecasts its growth will surpass that of the market,” the company said in a statement.

The new Philippine facilities¸ approximately 100,000 square meters of plant area, will be constructed inside the existing site by the early part of 2017, with operations slated to begin in the spring of that year, Epson said.

Epson also revealed plans to install a mega solar power generation system with a capacity of approximately 3,000 kilowatt per hour (kWh) on the roof of the new plant to reduce overall daytime electricity consumption by half.

At the same time, Epson plans to increase the workforce of Epson Precision (Philippines) to approximately 20,000 from the current 12,500 to respond to the planned increase in production.

Epson Precision (Philippines) was established in 1994.

Epson’s line-up ranges from inkjet printers, printing systems, and 3LCD projectors to industrial robots, smart glasses, and sensing systems, and is based on original compact, energy-saving, and high-precision technologies. – Rappler.com

*(¥1 = $0.0083)