Albert,
Welcome back. Here is a piece of good news from Newsbytes.
AMD To Expand Chip Factory In Thailand
BANGKOK, THAILAND, 1998 FEB 19 (Newsbytes) -- By Jirapan Boonnoon, The Nation. Advanced Micro Devices' [NYSE:AMD] AMD (Thailand), a semiconductor manufacturer, plans to expand its semiconductor production capacity to hit 8.5 million units per week in the next three years. The company's managing director, Yutthana Semungkorn, said the plant will extend its production capacity of AMD's semiconductor and flash memory components used in fixed and mobile phones from 6.7 million units per week to about 8.5 million units by 2001. He said the production capacity expansion is a result of the expectation that there will be higher demand for small chips for telecommunications equipment, especially in Asia. The plant needs to
prepare its production capacity to serve the expected higher volume. The plant is now waiting for approval from the Board of Investment for its expansion plan. Meanwhile, the parent company is now in the process of seeking approval for an investment of around US$50 million to expand the existing manufacturing plant. He said the plant in Thailand is also expected to produce electronic components for telecommunications equipment which were previously produced by
manufacturing plants contracted by the parent company. In addition, the plant also plans to produce a new version of Micro Bell Gaid Array, a small chip used in cordless telephones. This version has been developed with a 70 to 80 percent reduction in size over previous models. This technology, he claimed, will be first produced in the Thai manufacturing plant.
He added that, this year, the plant will produce at least 10 models of new semiconductors for export. Its export volume last year was worth around Bt2.3 billion and the plant hopes to increase the export volume by 15 percent this year. He said that Asia has good potential as a market for chipmakers in the future. AMD (Thailand) produces almost any kind of chip, 100 percent for export.
The plant's major markets are in the United States, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. (19980219)
Best wishes
James |
