Fujikura Opens Auto Wiring Harness Plants in China and Vietnam

Fujikura announced on 17 December the firm opened 2 plants to manufacture automotive wiring harness in China and Vietnam. The new plant in Shanghai will start commercial production and shipment in April 2009. The plant in Da-nang will commence commercial production and shipment in February 2009. Fujikura also plans to open a small productive facility for automotive wiring harness in Morocco.

Shanghai plant is a branch of Fujikura Changchun, an existent productive subsidiary in Jilin Province, China. Shanghai plant started operation in September 2008 on 8,000-square-meter floors. Fujikura aims the annual sales at 600 million yen with 300 employees in 2009 and 1.5 billion yen with 450 employees in 2010.

Da-nang facility is wholly invested by Yonezawa Electric Wire Company, an automotive wire and component maker of Fujikura Group. The plant started operation in November 2008 whose floors total 12,000 square meters. Fujikura targets the annual sales at 1.5 billion yen with 800 employees in 2009 and 3 billion yen with 1,000 employees in 2010.

Car production still maintains stable in China though automakers are recently entering production cut in the USA, Europe and Japan. Fujikura tries to expand order receipts for automotive wiring harness at its 3 Chinese sites, Fujikura Zhuhai, Fujikura Changchun and Shanghai new plant.

Da-nang plant will export automotive wiring harness to the customers in Japan. Fujikura plans to transfer out-in products from Yonezawa Electric Wire’s Japanese plants and Fujikura Zhuhai’s plants into Da-nang site to improve productive efficiency and cost performance.

Morocco site will open in the first half of 2009 to transfer operations from Rumanian facilities of Fujikura Automotive Europe, previously ACE wholly owed by Fujikura. In Rumania, labor cost is surging and understaffing situation is emerging.