Komori Expands Japanese Factory

DÜSSELDORF, GERMANY—Komori Corp. plans to invest US$95 million in the latest expansion phase of its flagship Tsukuba factory in Tsukuba City, Japan, the company announced during Drupa. Upon its scheduled completion in December 2009, Komori claims that the Tsukuba plant will have effectively doubled in size to become the world’s largest printing press manufacturing facility.

Yoshiharu Komori, president and CEO of Komori Corp., said the press manufacturer’s continued strong growth in worldwide market share could enable it to achieve a market share of 30 percent within five years. The company is also investing $14 million in its new international Graphic Technology Center at Tsukuba, which will provide demonstration and training facilities across the full range of presses. Production of web offset and banknote presses, previously done at the nearby Sekiyado plant, will also be relocated to the Tsukuba operation. Assembly of the Lithrone S29 and smaller format presses will remain at Komori’s Yamagata plant.

“We are experiencing continued strong growth in market share worldwide, particularly outside Japan, which is driving our investment to meet an increase in demand for our sheetfed and web offset presses in the future,” Komori said.