JANUARY 2004
Cover
N.C. Early JDIG Results
Lowe's Campus
Building Bio Work Force
Upstate Automotives
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THE CAROLINAS SPOTLIGHT
Carolinas Cultivating Bio,
Auto Strengths
Auto Strengths
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ne would be hard-pressed to find a company that can match the industrial expansion streak of Fuji Photo Film's Greenwood, S.C., operations.
The Japanese-owed company came to South Carolina's Upstate region in 1988 with the company's first U.S. factory for production of pre-sensitized plates for the graphic arts market. Expansion has been virtually non-stop ever since. Headquarters for the company's North American research and development effort, the Greenwood site is Fuji's largest, encompassing more than 2.5 million sq. ft. (232,250 sq. m.) on a 500-acre (202-hectare) site.
"We've been here 15 years and there's been just two months when we were not under construction," says Craig White, vice president of corporate communications at the Greenwood complex. Actually, in 15 years, the site has seen 15 expansions. Of course, not all have been major enlargements, but the last two represent a total investment of more than US$400 million.
The latest project is a $100-million expansion of production of computer-to-plate (CTP) printing capacity. The expansion is the first of the 15 not to create new jobs, as employment at the Fuji complex will remain at its current level of 1,500 when it comes online in summer 2004. The line will produce printing plates for a variety of uses, including calendars, posters, annual reports and magazines.
"Fuji tends to put manufacturing capability close to its customers, and the U.S. is the largest single market for all of Fuji's products," White says. As far as Fuji is concerned, it's been a picture-perfect relationship with Greenwood and South Carolina.
"It's been a wonderful friendship over the years with local and state government and economic development agencies being incredibly supportive," White says. "Every time we do an expansion, we're in competition with other Fuji sites in Japan and Europe. We have to make a good business case every time."
The Carolinas continue to revamp and diversify their economies as they try to weather the storm which has seen much of their traditional manufacturing base, especially in textiles, unravel over the last three years. North Carolina has lost nearly 30,000 textile jobs since the start of 2001. South Carolina lost 4,200 textile jobs during the year running from Sept. 2002 to Sept. 2003. Both states see various forms of high technology as their salvation.
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The Japanese-owed company came to South Carolina's Upstate region in 1988 with the company's first U.S. factory for production of pre-sensitized plates for the graphic arts market. Expansion has been virtually non-stop ever since. Headquarters for the company's North American research and development effort, the Greenwood site is Fuji's largest, encompassing more than 2.5 million sq. ft. (232,250 sq. m.) on a 500-acre (202-hectare) site.
"We've been here 15 years and there's been just two months when we were not under construction," says Craig White, vice president of corporate communications at the Greenwood complex. Actually, in 15 years, the site has seen 15 expansions. Of course, not all have been major enlargements, but the last two represent a total investment of more than US$400 million.
The latest project is a $100-million expansion of production of computer-to-plate (CTP) printing capacity. The expansion is the first of the 15 not to create new jobs, as employment at the Fuji complex will remain at its current level of 1,500 when it comes online in summer 2004. The line will produce printing plates for a variety of uses, including calendars, posters, annual reports and magazines.
"Fuji tends to put manufacturing capability close to its customers, and the U.S. is the largest single market for all of Fuji's products," White says. As far as Fuji is concerned, it's been a picture-perfect relationship with Greenwood and South Carolina.
"It's been a wonderful friendship over the years with local and state government and economic development agencies being incredibly supportive," White says. "Every time we do an expansion, we're in competition with other Fuji sites in Japan and Europe. We have to make a good business case every time."
The Carolinas continue to revamp and diversify their economies as they try to weather the storm which has seen much of their traditional manufacturing base, especially in textiles, unravel over the last three years. North Carolina has lost nearly 30,000 textile jobs since the start of 2001. South Carolina lost 4,200 textile jobs during the year running from Sept. 2002 to Sept. 2003. Both states see various forms of high technology as their salvation.