Siemens China announced it had signed cooperation contracts and orders worth about 2 billion yuan with its Chinese partners. During an interview with Nanfang Daily, Peter Loescher, president and CEO of Siemens AG, said that a large part of the amount is for products from Siemens' environmental portfolio, which proves that the growth of the environmental technology market is the strongest in emerging countries such as China.

Under a contract already made public, Siemens will also provide signal and control systems for Chongqing's first subway line and traction systems for Suzhou's first subway line. Hangzhou subway line one, the longest subway line in China, was installed with Siemens' advanced traction and brake systems. President and CEO Richard Hausmann of Siemens China said that there is strong demand for technology helping sustainable development and solutions for emissions reduction in China's big cities.

Siemens also announced that it would invest another 500 million yuan in China within the next 3 to 5 years to expand capacity of wind and electrical equipment to meet the fast-growing demand in the Chinese wind power market. "As our business portfolio is able to meet the demand as a result of the incentives intended to boost China's economy, we will further expand Siemens' business in China. Currently, we are drawing near the target of winning new orders worth 20 billion yuan in 2012, from the incentives intended to boost China's economy," Hausmann said.

Source: People's Daily Online

Japanese bearing and machinery producer NSK completed the construction of its China headquarters in Suzhou and put its China research and development (R&D) center into operation Monday 12th of October.

The headquarters is the first one going operational in the Suzhou Huaqiao Economic Development Zone. It involves a total investment of over 100 million US dollars and is expected to realize 7 billion yuan in annual output in 2011.

The China R&D center, NSK's largest technical center outside Japan, will carry out R&D in machine bearings, auto parts and precision machinery products and provide related technical services.

Suzhou Huaqiao Economic Development Zone is the only economic development area that centers on modern services industry in east China Jiangsu province. Over 20 companies from home and broad have located their China or East China headquarters there.

The founding of NSK's China headquarters and the operation of its China R&D center is expected to inject new vitality to the economic zone and the adjacent area.

Source: iStockAnalyst

Unifi Textiles (Suzhou) Co. Ltd. (UTSC) continues to expand its Repreve-branded product offerings in Asia with the launch of its new Repreve polyester staple fiber.

The new product is made of 100% recycled materials for use in spun yarns, including open-end, ring and jet spun.

The company’s family of Repreve-branded recycled products includes: recycled staple polyester; recycled filament polyester; recycled filament nylon 6.6; and recycled performance fibers.

They are available with flame retardant, moisture wicking, stretch and color technologies.

“As we continue to localize our recycling efforts here in China, we are able to offer our customers the best value and marketing support as Repreve becomes the leader in local sustainable textile solutions,” said Roger Berrier.

Source: Home Textiles Today

Alvaro Rautenberg has taken over the management of the Kempinski Hotel Suzhou — succeeding Achim Brueckner.

A German and Brazilian national, Rautenberg is a veteran in the hospitality industry with over 20 years of international hotel experience. During his career he worked in many countries, including Germany, Russia, United States, and China. He joined the Kempinski Group in 1999 with a focus in food and beverage. He than moved on to work for Swissotel Chicago in the United States and the Grand Hotel Europe in St. Petersburg, Russia, before returning to the Kempinski Hotel Beijing as the director of food and beverage. In 2006 he was transferred to the Kempinski Hotel Shenyang as hotel manager and was promoted to general manager one year later.

Canadian Solar Inc (CSIQ), a Photovoltaic products manufacturer announced that it has signed strategic partnership agreements with Bank of China, Bank of Communications and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China to get hold of as much as US$2.2 billion in aggregate credit facilities.

Each bank may offer up to 5 billion yuan (US$732.7 million) to domestic and overseas solar projects wherein Canadian Solar supplies solar modules. Canadian Solar may establish a China holding company to manage these and other transactions.

The company also announced that the Suzhou New District government in Jiangsu province has agreed to provide 7.5 million yuan (US$1.1 million) in matching funds to support commercial rooftop and building integrated photovoltaic projects undertaken by Canadian Solar in the district. The district government is providing funds in conjunction with subsidies provided by the ministries of finance and constructions.

Source: Seeking Alpha

Nilit Ltd. is a privately owned company with headquarters in Israel has purchase Nylstar, a nylon manufacturer in the Martinsville Industrial Park in USA.

Nilit just open last year his first state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in China Suzhou SIP equiped with Oerlikon Barmag Texturizing machines which also produced in Oerlikon Textile Plant in Suzhou. Nili have offices in Italy, Germany, France, Latin America, Turkey, the United States and Asia Pacific.

Nylstar announced the purchase Tuesday. The Martinsville plant will be Nilit’s first manufacturing facility in the United States, according to a news release and Basil B. “Sonny” Walker, Nylstar’s president.

The sale will protect the jobs of Nylstar’s 210 employees and generally is “very good for us,” said Walker, who has been named president of Nilit U.S.

“The significance for us is that we’re now owned by a global nylon industry (leader),” he said. “That gives us a more secure, brighter future.”

Nilit makes “branded performance yarns” for intimate apparel, bodywear, legwear and activewear, the release said. The acquisition of Nylstar will “complement and expand” the company’s portfolio, it said, adding that Nylstar makes nylon yarns in a broad range of filament counts, lusters and cross-section type.

“The addition of this U.S. plant will become a part of (Nilit’s) global production facility network, demonstrating its confidence and investment in the nylon apparel industry throughout the world. With the Nylstar acquisition, Nilit becomes one of the world’s largest nylon 6.6 producers for the apparel industry,” the release said.

Nylon 6.6 is one of two types of nylon. It is used in the apparel garment industry, Walker said.

With China investing billions of dollars in 3G networks, Andrew Solutions, a division of CommScope, is completing expansion of its Suzhou, China, manufacturing and distribution center to better support its local customers.
Andrew’s Suzhou factory currently has more than 2,000 employees and a production area of more than 20,000 square meters. The expansion will increase the workforce by about 400 people and the production space for base station antenna manufacturing by 50 percent.

Source: WirelessWeek

TMT group of companies a distributor and manufacturer of products for PCB manufacturing with offices in Kirchheimbolanden (Germany), Bangalore (India) and San Francisco (USA) has entered a strategic partnership agreement with Ventec Electronics (Suzhou) Co Ltd for Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Ventec Electronics headquartered in Suzhou PRC is a leading developer and manufacturer of  PCB laminate & pre preg technologies such as high reliability FR4, halogen free, polyimide, low DK and thermally conductive systems. Ventec also produces a full range of no flow and low flow pre pregs for rigid-flex applications.

TMT is well established as a supplier of leading-edge PCB products, such as ThinFlex polyimide-based adhesiveless flexible material, Electra Polymers, UK and high end accessories for the drilling and pressing of PCB´s. The addition of a high end laminate and prepreg product range compliments existing lines and the establishment of inventory in Kirchheimbolanden demonstrates our commitment to customer service.

Thomas Michels, TMT´s Managing Director, commented, "We make this step in order to get a foothold in Europe's biggest market, where we can offer the most advanced technology available worldwide. Together with our existing products we are able to offer customers a "1 stop shop" on the highest possible level. Mr. Michels added, "It will be a challenging target to fulfill the customers' demands but with the help of Ventec´s team we are confident to meet the technology and service expectations of our customers 100%."

Mark Goodwin, Ventec´s European Sales and Marketing Director is enthusiastic about the agreement adding " With Ventec´s superior products and technical expertise and TMT´s relationships in central Europe success is just a matter of time. Ventec holds ISO 9001:2000, ISO 14001, ISO18001 and TS 16949 accreditation. We see the TS 16949 as vital for a market dominated by automotive applications."

Source: Ventec Electronics and PCB007

the American headset producer anounced the close of the Suzhou plant where it produces bluetooth headsets. The closing will cut at least 670 Jobs.

Plantronics will outsource the production of bluetooth headsets to an existing supplier in China, the California-based company said in a statement. "Not only will this action improve profitability in the critical bluetooth headset market, it will increase our return on capital significantly by decreasing our fixed asset base and increasing inventory turns," Ken Kannappan, Chief Executive, said.

"The plan will proceed in phases and is expected to be complete by October 2009," Reuters quotes a company announcement. Plantronics did not provide exact figures but added that most ”layoffs will happen in China, with some in the United States.”

Measures on the Authentication and Management of SIP New and Hi-Tech Enterprises promulgated on January 21 regulates that those not being qualified for national subsidies can apply for SIP subsidies and will enjoy the same strong financial supports so as to survive the economic recession by launching R&D projects and transforming research results into profitable production. It is estimated that the subsidies will total at 40 million yuan this year.


Detailed Rule for Granting Loan Interest Subsidy to SIP Technological Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) issued on the same day states that new and hi-tech SMEs "with total assets less than 30 million yuan or with total sales less than 100 million yuan during the previous year" are entitled to 50% loan interest subsidy, and that one enterprise can get up to 500,000 yuan each year.


Moreover, SIP also offers a dozen of its public technological platforms of software, integrated circuit, bio-pharmacy, animation and games to enterprise at 30 percent off the market price. For this purpose, SIP produces a special fund of 100 million yuan on the construction and subsidization of these platforms.

Source: Sipac