*NEWS*TONER PLANT TO ADD U.S. JOBS

[Anonymous]

Printer-toner plant plans will add 21 Salem jobs
Japan-based maker will double workers in local expansion
A
Japan-based manufacturer of toner for printer cartridges intends to
scale up its Salem plant and double its local work force.IMEX America
plans a $5 million plant expansion at Fairview Industrial Park that
will bring 21 jobs to the area, company officials said Wednesday. IMEX
disclosed its plans for Salem during Gov. Ted Kulongoski’s trade
mission to Japan.Lisa Earls, the accounting and administrative manager
for IMEX’s Salem operation, said that the building and equipment
upgrade would increase the company’s local work force from 21 to 42
employees.”What we’re trying to do is just about double the capacity in
the plant,” Earls said.The company hopes to begin construction as soon
as possible, she said. Details about the timing and the expansion’s
square footage still are under discussion.The toner made in Salem is
used primarily by other companies to refill recycled printer
cartridges, as well as to fill new cartridges. IMEX also makes toner
for copy machines.Kulongoski praised IMEX for making Salem part of its
business strategy.”This investment means more jobs for the Salem area
and a stronger role for Oregon in a vital industry that makes our
environment healthier and cleaner,” Kulongoski said.IMEX has applied
for enterprise-zone property-tax abatements for its plant expansion,
local economic development officials said. The company might be
eligible for the three-year tax break on new construction and equipment
because it is in an enterprise zone.Four years ago, IMEX built a
25,000-square-foot plant in Salem. At the time, the $11 million plant
was celebrated by economic-development officials as a rare bonus in the
midst of a recession.Salem landed IMEX’s factory for a variety of
reasons, including land prices, tax breaks from the city’s enterprise
zone and the quality of the work force.One element that distinguished
Salem from competing locations in the Portland area was soy-sauce maker
Yamasa Corp. USA, another Japan-based company and Fairview
occupant.IMEX and Yamasa executives got to know one another through a
group known as “Shokookai,” which state economic-development officials
describe as the equivalent of a chamber of commerce for Japanese
executives in Oregon.IMEX purchased land for its Salem plant from
Yamasa.

IMEX Will Invest $5 Million to Upgrade Salem Plant
Governor
Kulongoski has led a delegation of Oregon business leaders and state
trade officials to Japan to promote Oregon products and encourage
investment by Japanese companies in Oregon communities
(TOKYO,
Japan) – Japan’s IMEX corporation, which has manufactured refilled
toner and ink cartridges in Salem since 2002, will invest $5 million in
its Salem facility to upgrade the plant and expand its operations,
Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski announced after meeting with the company
president in Tokyo.“Your company is helping move America in the right
direction by encouraging consumers to recycle computer products,” the
Governor told IMEX president Akira Kitaoka and top company
executives.“Oregon supports industries like yours-environmentally
sustainable companies that help create a cleaner environment and reduce
the consumption of fossil fuels. We need to keep computer products out
of the landfills, and you’re helping us do that. You’re also helping
consumers save money.”Every recycled printer cartridge saves 2.5 liters
of oil, Kitaoka told members of the Governor’s trade delegation.
Kitaoka wants to increase its share of the American market for recycled
cartridges, and part of the challenge is to let consumers know the
company is environmentally friendly, he said. After operating for four
years in Salem, IMEX turned a profit this year, spurring the investment
of $5.0 million to upgrade its manufacturing facility and launch an
aggressive effort to increase its American market share.Japan is a
leading trading partner with Oregon, and a hundred Japanese companies
employ more than 10,000 Oregon workers.“IMEX is a great corporate
citizen, and I’m excited that its experience in Oregon has prompted its
management to invest even more in its Oregon operation,” Governor
Kulongoski said. “This investment means more jobs for the Salem area
and a stronger role for Oregon in a vital industry that makes our
environment healthier and cleaner.”

[Author]

July 11, 2006 at 10:42 AM