China Array Plastics Opens New Facility in Wuhan, China to Injection Mold High-Performance Thermoplastics for OEMs


New Custom-Molding Facility Gives Global OEMs High-End Injection Molding Expertise Coupled with Full-Service Engineering, Technical Customer Support

Pittsfield, Mass. - July 27, 2007 - China Array Plastics, headquartered here, has opened a new state-of-the-art injection molding facility in the Zhuankou Industrial Park in Wuhan, China. The company is among the first in China to specialize exclusively in custom molding high-performance thermoplastics - such as polysulfone (PSU), polyetherimide (PEI) and polyetheretherketone (PEEK) - used in demanding, high-tech applications. China Array Plastics offers multinational OEMs operating in China tremendous advantages vs. importing parts, including higher quality parts, faster delivery, lower manufacturing costs, and highly trained U.S. and local expertise.

The new facility underscores China Array Plastics' growth strategy to differentiate itself as a market leader and innovator in the injection molding of high-performance thermoplastic materials. The company is currently serving and targeting high-end niche segments where these materials are increasingly in demand, such as the medical, electronics, fluid-handling, and aerospace industries where low-volume, high-value applications are required. In addition to world-class injection molding expertise, China Array Plastics also offers customers advanced engineering, mold design, application development, and testing services to further support customer growth and innovation.
"We are unique and different from other injection molding companies operating in China," said Russell Johnson, president and founder, China Array Plastics. "Molders of commodity materials are everywhere in the country, but custom injection molders of high performance thermoplastics for global OEMs are almost non-existent. In fact, we don't know of anyone who is currently doing what we do, which gives us a tremendous competitive advantage."

Carl Olson, vice president, sales & marketing, China Array Plastics, points to the quality of the company's engineering staff as another reason for its increasing success:

"Application engineers are former GE Plastics employees where much of the breakthrough development in high-performance thermoplastics historically took place," Olson said. "They have years of in depth experience working at GE where the emphasis was on commercialization and bringing new end-user products to market. By combining this engineering talent and experience with our new state-of-the-art production facility in Wuhan, we are actively competing worldwide."

With China's exceptionally rapid economic development, its industries are in need of specialty plastic parts made from high-end materials. "Commodities will always be there, but high-performance engineered materials are where the real growth is," Johnson said. "We identified an opportunity to supply thermoplastic components to fill a void in the plastics molding industry in China and are offering our clients there and around the world the benefits of lower system costs and specialized expertise."

Strong initial results put China Array Plastics in position for profitability after its first year. "We have some very committed customers, an interesting product mix, and are already seeing positive results," Olson said.

China Array Plastics selected Wuhan for its headquarters due to the city's historical position as the heartland of Chinese industry. Wuhan, which is home to several universities and technical institutions, offers skilled workers, a well developed infrastructure, and excellent distribution. The capital of Hubei Province, Wuhan straddles the Yangtze River at the nexus of main river, rail, and highway routes running north/south and east/west across China. Approximately equidistant from Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, it is perfectly situated for supplying customers within China or for reaching coastal ports for export.

China Array Plastics is an American company. The new facility - technically called China Array Wuhan - is a wholly owned foreign enterprise (WOFE) in China. This structure allows China Array Plastics to protect its customers' intellectual property rights and gives them the confidence of dealing with a firm that operates under the laws and business practices of the United States.
"We feel this is of paramount importance as the company moves further into the area of high technology products. It is particularly helpful to those firms seeking entry into China with a minimum risk," Johnson added.

About China Array

China Array US was founded 27 years ago by Russell Johnson, who has been manufacturing industrial products to meet international standards continually during that time. Johnson has also served as an advisor to Harvard Business School's Asian Research Center on manufacturing in China. China Array Plastics is a full-service custom injection molder specializing in high-performance thermoplastics.

For more information on China Array Plastics go to: chinaarrayplastics.com

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China Array Plastics' New Wuhan, China Facility Press Release

PHOTO: China Array Plastics' New Facility in Wuhan, China

China Array Plastics has opened a new state-of-the-art injection molding facility in the Zhuankou Industrial Park in Wuhan, China. The company is among the first in China to specialize exclusively in custom molding high-performance thermoplastics - such as polysulfone (PSU), polyetherimide (PEI) and polyetheretherketone (PEEK) - used in the most demanding, high-tech applications. China Array Plastics offers multinational OEMs operating in China tremendous advantages vs. importing parts, including higher quality parts, faster delivery, lower manufacturing costs, and highly trained U.S. and local expertise. China Array Plastics is an American company. The new facility - technically called China Array Wuhan - is a wholly owned foreign enterprise (WOFE) in China.

# # #

China Array Plastics' New Wuhan, China Facility Press Release

PHOTO: Russell Johnson, president and founder, China Array Plastics

China Array Plastics has opened a new state-of-the-art injection molding facility in Wuhan, China and is among the first in China to specialize exclusively in custom molding high-performance thermoplastics. According to Russell Johnson, president and founder, China Array Plastics, "We are unique and different from other injection molding companies operating in China. Molders of commodity materials are everywhere in the country, but custom injection molders of high performance thermoplastics for global OEMs are almost non-existent. In fact, we don't know of anyone who is currently doing what we do, which gives us a tremendous competitive advantage."

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