Samsung expands in RP, opens new plant

Samsung Electronics is continuing its expansion in the Philippines with the inauguration of its new multimillion-dollar optical disc drive facility in Calamba, Laguna last week.

One of Samsung’s top executives, Dr. Daeje Chin, president and CEO of Samsung’s Digital and Media System Business, graced the inauguration of the manufacturing facility, which is expected to further rev up the Korean electronics giant’s revenues in the optical disc drive business.

Chin, who plays a key role in Samsung’s drive to penetrate even further the consumer market, delivered the company’s message of digital convergence.

"Samsung is well-positioned to accelerate the digital convergence revolution into our business core competencies, which include consumer electronics, computers, communications and core components," said Chin in a speech delivered at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

The Samsung executive has been active in promoting new consumer products, particularly the tablet PC and Samsung’s version of the home entertainment PC. He recently hobnobbed with the likes of Microsoft’s Bill Gates and has been the front man for a number of Samsung product launches.

Chin is also expected to deliver the goods for Samsung, especially in high-growth areas such as consumer electronics, where the executive believes Samsung can become a major player in the near future.

Further, Chin is also expected to continue Samsung’s momentum in terms of revenue.

The company is reportedly enjoying a boom in the last 10 years, having broken the $10-billion barrier, eventually reaching $33 billion in the year 2000 alone. Currently, the Samsung brand is valued at around $8 billion in 2002 from $6 billion in 2001.

The new Samsung facility in the Philippines, meanwhile, will be under Samsung Electronics Philippines Manufacturing Corp. or Sephil, and is expected to increase Samsung’s output in the optical media business.

Samsung has been aggressively rolling out product after product in the optical disc space having started its Optical Media Solutions Division in 1994.

The company has also been increasing its investments throughout Asia, with the new Philippine facility being one of the strategic sites in Samsung’s expansion efforts.

Local Samsung executives disclosed that the company’s current investment in its Philippine facilities now total $35 million.

The Philippine facility currently churns out numerous optical disc products, including CD-ROM drives and CD writers, as well as DVD drives and DVD-CD-R combo drives.

With the inauguration of the new facility, a bulk of the latest optical media products from Samsung is now expected to come from its Philippine manufacturing operations. — Quadmedia News Agency