Lenovo invests in Poland

PC giant Lenovo will build a computer manufacturing center in the Legnica SEZ

Chinese firm Lenovo, the world's third-largest personal-computer manufacturer, will invest over $20 (zł.49.3) million on the construction of a manufacturing plant in the Legnica Special Economic Zone in western Poland. Construction is expected to be complete by Q3 of 2008.

Apart from product assembly and configuration, the company's activities in Poland will include product distribution, logistics and value-added services. It is expected to employ 1,000 people by 2010. Production will be targeted towards the markets of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The first year of operation is expected to see the production of some two million computers. After this, the plant will increase its production to five million units annually.

Lenovo employs over 23,000 people worldwide and has offices in 66 countries. In Central Europe it is present in Hungary, where it has a manufacturing plant, and in Slovakia, where it has a client service center.

Milko van Duijl, president of Lenovo Europe, Middle East and Africa said that the company was looking to invest more in the region since the company is "happy with [its] activities in CEE."

Paweł Olszynka, an IT specialist at PMR Consulting, was cautiously optimistic about the investment.

Source:

Poland opposition Civic Platform leads ruling party by 2 pct

PolyOne Corporation , a leading global provider of specialized polymer materials, services and solutions, today dedicated a new color concentrates manufacturing facility in Kutno, Poland, to serve rapidly growing regional markets in Eastern Europe.

The new plant is centrally located in Poland, with easy access to all major industrial regions and proximity to the main Berlin-to-Moscow transportation route. It is PolyOne's second manufacturing facility in Eastern Europe. The Company opened its first facility in Gyor, Hungary, in 1998.

Approximately 100 invited guests attended the dedication ceremony, among them customers, suppliers, regional and national dignitaries, and PolyOne employees. At the ceremony, PolyOne Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Stephen D. Newlin cited the new plant as another example of PolyOne's specialization and globalization strategy.

"Today's dedication reaffirms PolyOne's commitment to specialization and globalization in support of our customers worldwide," Newlin said. "Our new state-of-the-art Kutno facility expands our capacity to offer quick, convenient access to specialized materials, services and solutions for both locally based and multinational customers who are establishing manufacturing sites in this rapidly growing region."

The plant is designed for PolyOne's color products, but can be expanded to handle other PolyOne products. The facility will include a laboratory to develop and test products to customer specifications, and meets the strictest safety and environmental standards, including food contact and health care applications.

About PolyOne

PolyOne Corporation, with 2006 annual revenues of approximately $2.6 billion, is a leading global provider of specialized polymer materials, services and solutions. Headquartered in northeast Ohio, PolyOne has operations in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia, and joint ventures in North America and South America. See www.polyone.com for additional information on PolyOne.

Source:

Air Products to Expand Liquid Oxygen and Nitrogen Capacity in Poland with New Liquefier

LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa., Sept. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- A new liquefier to be built by Air Products will generate an additional 400 tonnes per day (TPD) of industrial gases to meet fast growing demand in Polish manufacturing sectors. The new liquefier will be located at the company's Kedzierzyn facility in the south of Poland, taking the total capacity there for oxygen and nitrogen products to 800 TPD. The facility is scheduled to be on-stream early in 2009, subject to approvals from the authorities.

Manufacturing in Poland grew by 7.4 percent in the six years to 2006. Nearly 30 percent of the total Polish manufacturing output and approximately 25 percent of new manufacturing investment are located within 150km of Air Products' Kedzierzyn facility. It is expected that the Polish gases market will become severely short of capacity in 2008 as demand continues to rise and will increasingly rely on imports.

Commenting, Air Products' vice president, bulk gases-Europe, Graham Rhodes said, "We are delighted to be making our first major new investment in Poland so soon after the acquisition of the BOC industrial gas business from The Linde Group. This signifies the confidence we have both in the market and in our highly motivated commercial team to leverage our proven competitive technology positions in key industries such as glass, metals and food. This will strengthen our market leading position."

The company says it also expects to generate distribution synergies, given Kedzierzyn's proximity to existing Air Products business clusters in the Czech and Slovak Republics.

In April, Air Products completed the acquisition of the BOC Gazy industrial gas business from The Linde Group, making Air Products the leading industrial gas supplier in Central Europe's fastest growing economy.

Air Products serves customers in industrial, energy, technology and healthcare markets worldwide with a unique portfolio of atmospheric gases, process and specialty gases, performance materials, and equipment and services. Founded in 1940, Air Products has built leading positions in key growth markets such as semiconductor materials, refinery hydrogen, home healthcare services, natural gas liquefaction, and advanced coatings and adhesives. The company is recognized for its innovative culture, operational excellence and commitment to safety and the environment and is listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability and FTSE4Good Indices. The company has annual revenues of $9 billion, operations in over 40 countries, and over 20,000 employees around the globe. For more information, visit www.airproducts.com.

Source:money.cnn.com

Kimball Electronics Awarded Major New Business;

Kimball Electronics Group, Inc., a subsidiary of Kimball International, Inc. (NASDAQ:KBALB), announced today (June 29) that the Company’s Kimball Electronics-Poland facility has been awarded a major new business program to manufacture automotive steering systems for the European market. Kimball Electronics Group is a global contract electronics manufacturing services (EMS) company that specializes in durable electronics with applications in the automotive, medical, industrial controls, and public safety industries.

The new business is related to the next generation of electronically power-assisted steering, with production slated to begin in late 2008. Total value of the program is estimated at 130 million euros (approximately $170 million) over 5 years. The selection of Kimball Electronics-Poland to supply the new steering electronic control units and components is significant, as the rapid acceptance of electronic steering by the European market is expected to continue, putting Kimball in a strong position for growth.

“This acceptance is driven by the eco-benefits in improved fuel economy and emissions as well as the advanced functions and easy packaging the system offers”, said Angus Watson, Director, Automotive Industry Solutions, Kimball Electronics Group.

“Our relationship with this particular customer is long-standing and we have made significant investments in recent years to expand the relationship in order to support growing business in Europe. We view this new business award as a strong testimonial in support of the partnership, and is the result of the team effort and hard work by people located in both the U.S. and Europe", stated Don Charron, President, Kimball Electronics Group.

Jim Thyen, President and Chief Executive Officer, Kimball International, added, “We are honored to have the opportunity to continue our service as a strategic supplier. We remain committed to the automotive end market and to our diversification strategy to expand our coverage of applications, vehicle brands, and geographies.”

About Kimball Electronics:

Kimball Electronics Group is a global contract electronics manufacturing services company that specializes in durable electronics for the automotive, medical, industrial and public safety markets. Kimball Electronics Group is well recognized by customers and industry trade publications for its excellent quality, reliability and innovative service. Kimball Electronics Group has manufacturing operations in the U.S., Mexico, Thailand, Poland, Wales, Ireland, and China. Kimball Electronics Group is a business unit of Kimball International, a $1.2 billion publicly held company headquartered in Jasper, Indiana.

To learn more about Kimball Electronics Group, visit our website at: www.kegroup.com

About Kimball International:

Recognized with a reputation for excellence, Kimball International is committed to a high performance culture that values personal and organizational commitment to quality, reliability, value, speed, and ethical behavior. Kimball employees know they are part of a corporate culture that builds success for customers while enabling employees to share in the Company’s success through personal, professional and financial growth.

Kimball International, Inc. (NASDAQ:KBALB) provides a variety of products from its two business segments: the Furniture segment and the Electronic Contract Assemblies segment. The Electronic Contract Assemblies segment provides engineering and manufacturing services which utilize common production and support capabilities to a variety of industries globally. The Furniture segment provides furniture for the office and hospitality industries, sold under the Company’s family of brand names.

To learn more about Kimball International, Inc., visit the Company’s website on the Internet at: www.kimball.com

Source: