GE Advanced Materials Showcases Companys China Growth Strategy at Chinaplas 2005
June 28, 2005
In January 2004 GE Plastics, GE Silicones, and GE Quartz were combined to form GE Advanced Materials. Now the largest GE business in China, GE Advanced Materials continues down the path of investing in compounding, materials, technology, market development, application development, and infrastructure here. New investments, such as the $64 million in the company's China Technology Center - in the Zhangjiang high-tech zone in Shanghai - and sponsorship of the 2008 Beijing Olympics are examples of GE's commitment to the Chinese economy. GE will celebrate these initiatives as well as showcase its newest high-tech material technologies at booth #218, Hall E at Chinaplas 2005.
According to Alan Leung, president, GE Advanced Materials, Plastics - Greater China, "China's robust economy gives a global strategic supplier like GE ample opportunity to provide cutting-edge materials, resources, and expertise across several important high-growth sectors. We can help Chinese manufacturers differentiate their products through the use of our high-performance, environmentally supportive materials solutions. China is the economic engine driving growth in Asia and we are expanding our support here wherever we can."
A Large and Growing Asian Footprint
China is the world's fastest growing market for materials technologies such as plastics and is enjoying an accelerated pace of development perhaps unprecedented in its history. GE's strategic efforts here are focused on investing in that growth and strengthening its position as "partners on the ground, working closely with high-tech Chinese companies in a wide range of industries," Leung said.
Major company highlights include:
The GE China Technology Center in Shanghai, which encompasses 47,000 square meters, is equipped with 27 research laboratories, and offers customers expertise in materials specification, design, testing, and comprehensive research;
GE's Customer Innovation Center, and part of the China Technology Center, where customers come for an array of specialized services, including design assistance, help commercializing product concepts and ideas, developing custom colors and special effects, prototyping, scale-up, and validation;
The first Custom Compounding Center in China, and part of GE Advanced Materials' Silicones business, also located in Shanghai, to develop and manufacture specially customized products for both heat-cured rubber and liquid silicone rubber applications. Capabilities at the center range from simple customizations to advanced new product development;
Two additional GE silicones manufacturing facilities are located in Songjiang and Shenzhen, China; and
A new GE Advanced Materials, Quartz facility in Wuxi, China, which is slated to open on June 28, 2005 to serve the lighting industry in China with high-purity GE 214 tubing, the recognized standard for quartz materials.
Providing a Competitive Advantage
GE Advanced Materials' extensive product portfolio has enabled a number of Chinese firms to gain a competitive advantage in the segments they serve, including the consumer electronics, building and construction, automotive, healthcare, and transportation industries.
Another key focus of GE's China growth plans is GE's ecomagination initiative, a new, global company solution that builds on breakthrough materials technologies to help customers overcome tough environmental challenges.
GE's materials technologies are also contributing to the success of government projects in China, such as the signing of a recent agreement between GE and China Railway Long Dragon to provide high-performance Azdel Rail-lite composite to refurbish train interiors for China's national railway system in advance of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Products Underscore Commitment
Underscoring GE's commitment to China is the company's extensive product portfolio, on display here this week at Chinaplas 2005. These high-performance materials cut across a range of important industry segments and include the following:
GE's Flexible Noryl resin for high-performance, thin-wall wire and cable insulation for electrical and electronics applications and a key part of GE's ecomagination efforts;
Weatherable Geloy resin for window profiles, roofing tiles, and other demanding building and construction products;
GE's LNP Stat-Loy D Series of compounds, an anti-static polycarbonate (PC) material, selected by Plasmon™ for its UDO™ (Ultra Density Optical) media for secure archival storage of valuable electronic data;
Lexan EXL resin for use in demanding consumer electronics applications, like Amoi Electronic's new M60 multimedia cell phone;
PolarTherm XLR boron nitride fillers to help electronics manufacturers solve semiconductor heat dissipation challenges as they move to smaller and faster devices;
LNP Stat-Kon compounds, electrically conductive products, which help minimize the risk of damage to hard drives from static discharge;
Armorgard, Suregard, and Lexgard laminates for personal and property protection in applications for schools, banks, and armored vehicles and critical infrastructure such as power plants, government buildings, and embassies; and
High-performance automotive materials for applications throughout the entire vehicle - inside and out.
About GE Advanced Materials
GE Advanced Materials is a world leader in providing high -technology material solutions. Headquartered in Pittsfield, Mass., its businesses include Plastics, Silicones, Quartz, Automotive, Specialty Film & Sheet, Polymershapes, and Sealants and Adhesives.
GE (NYSE: GE) is Imagination at Work – a diversified technology, media and financial services company focused on solving some of the world's toughest problems. With products and services ranging from aircraft engines, power generation, water processing and security technology to medical imaging, business and consumer financing, media content and advanced materials, GE serves customers in more than 100 countries and employs more than 300,000 people worldwide.
