Olympus is planning to build a manufacturing centre in Japan which, it claims, will double production capacity worldwide for its clinical analyzer product line.
Olympus is planning to build a manufacturing centre in Japan which, it claims, will double production capacity worldwide for its clinical analyzer product line.
The centre, which will include a research and development facility, is scheduled to open in Mishima during 2007.
Located at the base of Mt Fuji, it will serve the rapidly growing market worldwide for Olympus analysers, says the company.
Stephen Wasserman, group vice president, Diagnostic Systems Group, Olympus America, said: "The newly designed and expanded manufacturing, and research and development operation in Mishima will make it possible for Olympus to continue growing at a robust rate in the North American market".
"We need the additional capacity to accommodate our current and planned rapid growth".
"The effects of this investment are vitally important for us, and will be beneficial for our customers in the USA".
The three-storey Mishima facility will have nearly 15,000 square meters of floor space and is expected to cost about $35.7 million (4 billion yen).
It will replace the current facility, which has been in operation since 1978.
The Olympus line of analysers includes the AU400, AU400e, AU640, AU640e, AU2700 and AU5400 chemistry analyzers, along with the AU3000i immunoassay analyzer.
The AU3000i system is expected to be available on the US market in early 2006.
