Canon Inc. has decided to invest 30 billion yen (US$360 million) in the construction of new toner cartridge parts factory, to be located in Oita, Kyushu.
The company had announced the plan previously in 2008, but was put on hold due to the dwindling demand for laser printers, amidst the global recession. But now, they have decided to start construction by June, forecasting that the demand for office equipment and consumables will soon pick up, especially in China and Southeast Asia. Canon plans to manufacture key parts such as printer rollers and blades at this factory, and the output will be shipped to Canon’s toner cartridge factories in Japan and overseas.
The new factory in Oita will have a total floor space of about 35,000 square meters and aims at employing around 300-400 workers. Canon is currently manufacturing these parts at the existing factory in Ibaraki, but the output is expected to increase once the new factory is established.
Canon predicts that unit sales of laser printers will grow 60 percent year-on-year from 2010, hence it has shown the green light to start construction.