New plant in Northern China

-Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd. has started a study of building a new plant to produce automobile lamps in the northern part of China, including Tianjin, against the backdrop of a brisk new car market in China. Watching carefully the Chinese and global market conditions, the company is aiming to inaugurate its operations as early as by the end of 2012 fiscal year. Koito already has three local makers of automobile lamps in China, which supply headlamps for 3 million vehicles. Given their production capacity nearing the limit due to expanding new car production in China, the company has begun to seriously consider construction of a new facility. The new plant is expected to produce lamps for half a million vehicles per year with an investment of 5 billion yen. Following a feasibility study on its location and management style, the supplier is looking to make a final decision by the end of fiscal 2010 and start its operations in fiscal 2012. (From an article in the Nikkan Jidosha Shimbun on Dec. 28, 2009)

The 5th technical center under consideration

-Koito Manufacturing has begun to consider construction of a new technical center for comprehensive research and development activities in Guangzhou, China by the end of March 2012. Koito, which already has the Shanghai Technical Center and is advancing localization of R&D activities in China, has determined it necessary to set up a second technical center in China dedicated to the China South and its vicinity, where five Japanese automakers are located. If a facility is constructed, it will be the company's 5th technical center, following those in Japan, the U.S., Europe and Shanghai. (From an article in the Nikkan Jidosha Shimbun on Sep. 9, 2009)