Kodak Opens Printing Plate Manufacturing Facility in China

XIAMEN, China, Nov. 6—On a landmark day for Eastman Kodak Company in China, Kodak customers, distributors, industry leaders and government representatives joined the company to celebrate the grand opening of the world’s newest printing plate manufacturing facility in Xiamen, China. The state of the art Kodak facility will produce both digital and conventional printing plates, and will be part of the locally manufactured computer to plate (CTP) solutions from Kodak for the growing China market and Asia Pacific region.

“This is an important occasion for our commercial printing customers in China and around the world. Kodak’s $50 million investment in plate manufacturing in China demonstrates our strong commitment to offset printing and strengthening our position in the graphic communications industry,” said Philip J. Faraci, president and chief operating officer, Eastman Kodak Company, during a plant opening ceremony held today. “The Xiamen plant significantly increases our total manufacturing capacity worldwide, which is critical to our customers as the demand for computer to plate printing solutions continues to grow. It also provides a base of operations to increase our service and support for customers in China and the Asia Pacific.”

The new facility is located at Kodak’s research and manufacturing center in Xiamen. Occupying nearly 21,000 square meters, the new plant will produce KODAK ELECTRA EXCEL Thermal Plates. Considered the largest selling digital plate ever, the ELECTRA EXCEL plate is a no preheat thermal plate that delivers excellent versatility and reliability for a wide range of printing applications. In addition to digital plate production, the Kodak Xiamen plant will also meet the strong demand in China for conventional printing plates, producing KODAK WINNER GOLD Negative Plates.

Along with the new facility in Xiamen, Kodak is creating a dedicated China Technical Applications Group (TAG) to provide technical support to customers in China and the Asia Pacific. Kodak already has TAG operations serving Europe and the Americas.

In addition to the Xiamen plant, there are seven other Kodak plate production facilities around the world, including: Munich, Germany; Osterode, Germany; Leeds, U.K., Sofia, Bulgaria; Gunma, Japan; Windsor, Colo., U.S.; and Columbus, Ga., U.S.