National Semiconductor Corporation, a supplier of analog integrated circuits to the display, handset, PC and server markets, yesterday opened its first major manufacturing facility in China.
Located in Suzhou Industrial Park about 80 kilometers west of Shanghai, the Suzhou Test and Assembly Plant expands the company's capacity for assembling and testing semiconductors. The facility complements existing assembly and test plants in Malaysia and Singapore.
"This is a great strategic opportunity for National to build its business in China and integrate our manufacturing operations into the world's fastest-growing semiconductor market," Brian Halla, the company's CEO, said.
The plant's production capacity would soon approach 1 million small outline integrated circuit units per day. The California-based company invested US$40 million in the plant and intends to pump up to US$200 million in the new facility.
The firm reported its sales of US$1.98 billion, in fiscal 2004, which ended on May 30.