XIAMEN: Imaging giant Eastman Kodak announced yesterday that it would invest up to US$100 million to build a computer-to-plate plant at its Xiamen campus to serve the fast-growing commercial printing industry.

Kodak will register a company in Xiamen - Kodak Graphic Communications (China) Co Ltd - for operations related to design, development, processing, manufacture, integration, sale, maintenance and servicing of computer-based digital graphic communications products, equipment, systems and materials.

The construction of the new facility will begin immediately after project approvals are secured, with some operations starting in the middle of next year.

"The Xiamen campus will become a centre for digital media and related products as Kodak continues the rapid transformation to a digital company," said Daniel T. Meek, seniorvice-president of Kodak.

Other digital media currently produced at the campus include Kodak "dry view" films used for medical imaging and films used for the manufacture of printed circuit boards, Meek said.

He added that the company recently moved to create a finishing operation for ink jet paper at the site and will continue to evaluate manufacturing expansion for future digital products.

"Kodak is transforming itself, and so is our Xiamen plant," said Ying Yeh, chairwoman of Kodak's Greater China Region.

She said: "I am delighted to see our Xiamen campus engaged in manufacturing for all three pillars of Kodak's business: consumer, health and graphic communications.

"This site, which once produced only traditional products, will also produce digital media and related products with the capability to supply markets worldwide. This is a good development opportunity for the Xiamen campus in Kodak's transformation."

Prior to completion of the new plant in Xiamen, Kodak will continue to supply customers from its Kodak Polychrome Graphics (KPG) plant in Tianjin, which was acquired earlier this year.

The new project will not interrupt product supply or delay KPG's timetable to locally supply the China digital plate market.

Kodak's global sales volume hit US$13.5 billion last year, with more than half of its revenues from the digital business.

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