Edwards Opens Vacuum Factory in Cheonan

The UK Business Secretary, Vince Cable and Edwards CEO, Matthew Taylor officially opened the site in the presence of the Governor of Chungchungnam-do, the Mayor of Cheonan, and HE Martin Uden, the British Ambassador, among others.

Edwards has invested approximately $100 million in its advanced manufacturing site which is not only a factory but also a technical centre, allowing more local technical applications support for our customers as well as development of product derivatives and the rapid introduction of new products. The facility will be an important hub for the company’s growing range of high-quality dry vacuum pumps and systems for the most demanding of processes in the semiconductor, LCD, solar, LED and flat panel display markets and it boasts the latest manufacturing equipment to assure product quality, together with lean manufacturing techniques to reduce production times and a range of sophisticated energy saving features.

The new facility, which will have a manufacturing capacity in excess of 25,000 units per year, will employ 300 staff initially, growing to 400 by 2012. Edwards expects total employee numbers in Korea to be up to 700 in 2012.

The Korean factory brings Edwards’ total number of manufacturing sites around the world to seven, including sites in the UK, Czech Republic, and Japan. In addition, the company has 15 service centres worldwide.

Edwards has been present in Asia for more than 40 years and in Korea for 27 years. Nearly 60 percent of the Group’s revenue derives from customers located in Asia.

Founded in 1919, Edwards is a leading global manufacturer and provider of highly engineered vacuum technology products and abatement systems, as well as a leading service provider in the industry. Edwards’ products provide critical technology for many high-precision manufacturing processes that require controlled, particle-free environments. Its products are used across many technology-driven industries, including semiconductor, LCD, chemical, pharmaceutical, metallurgy, scientific instruments, solar photovoltaic ("solar PV"), LED and flat panel display (“FPD”).

Matthew Taylor, CEO of Edwards commented: “We are delighted that the Business Secretary Vince Cable has been here to open our new world class facility in Cheonan. This is a proud occasion for Edwards which has a long and successful history in Korea and a strong customer base both here and across Asia. We have invested heavily in the development of our technology support capability in Korea which is demonstrated in this impressive site. It is not only a factory but also a great centre of technological excellence which enables us to manufacture closer to customers, improves our response times and customer service as well as providing the leading technology, product quality and sustainable manufacturing which ensures we remain leaders in the global vacuum market.”

Sung-Min Lee, President of Edwards Korea said: “We are tremendously proud to be opening our new Cheonan site. Although Edwards has been in Korea for 27 years, this is a momentous occasion for the company and cements our position as an important business partner for Korea as well as a strong part of the local community. We welcome all our new employees and look forward to recruiting the next generation of engineers who will help us remain leaders in the production of high quality vacuum pumps.”