Japan-U.S. Business Report
Japan-U.S. Business Report
The Viscotec system for digitally printing fabrics using up to 16.7 million colors is coming to the United States in late 1999. Developer SEIREN CO., LTD. has earmarked $21.4 million for plant construction. A final decision apparently has not been made on the facility's location. One possibility, though, is Cramerton, North Carolina, where the firm is a minority investor (20 percent) with J.P.S. TEXTILE GROUP in CRAMERTON AUTOMOTIVE PRODUCTS, L.P., a manufacturer of automotive textiles. Seiren has enlisted the help of E.I. DUPONT DE NEMOURS & CO., INC. in marketing Viscotec-printed fabrics to both clothing manufacturers and the automotive industry. The chemical giant also will supply ink to the Viscotec plant. By linking customers with the printing plant via computer-aided design and manufacturing terminals, the Viscotec system offers quick turnaround of customized batch lots of fabric. Seiren hopes to build the Viscotec technology into a $35.7 million business in the United States in 2001.
An exchange rate of ¥140=$1.00 was used in this report.
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