Christie opens new manufacturing facility
Published: ASIA
CHINA: Christie has opened a new manufacturing facility in Shenzhen, China to meet the growing global demand for digital cinema projectors to screen 2D and 3D movies.
The manufacturer hopes its new facility will significantly expand its production capabilities, with its Solaria projectors scheduled to roll off the assembly line in July. Production will begin with the CP2220 and CP2210 projectors, with the CP2230 to follow. The Shenzhen factory will initially feed the Asia Pacific market, freeing up capacity at Christie’s North American plant to increase supply to the rest of the world.
‘Assembly in China opens up significant new opportunities and shipping flexibility for Christie that will allow us to better serve all our customers around the world,’ observed Ihor Stech, Christie's VP of operations. ‘It is the ideal location because much of our raw material comes from the Asian region, so we can more efficiently convert them to final product. With the initial projectors feeding the markets in Asia, we will also save on import duties. Meanwhile, we can quickly deploy the projectors to meet demands around the world as needed.’
Christie selected Shenzhen because it offers access to a well-educated and highly skilled labour force. In addition, its close proximity to Hong Kong attracts a multinational staff to serve the global markets. Hong Kong also features one of the largest ports in the world, facilitating quick deployment of equipment to other regions.
The new facility adheres to Christie’s strict quality standards and uses the same manufacturing principles as its North American operations. There are also plans to increase the staff in Shenzhen and to add a second assembly line in the coming months, enabling Christie to double its production.
‘We are committed to all our partners in the exhibition community, and that includes making substantial financial investments to ensure we meet their needs,’ said Gerry Remers, president and COO of Christie Digital Systems Canada, Inc. ‘The two facilities are operating closely together under the direction of Christie’s veteran technical team, with Shenzhen precisely mirroring the world class manufacturing standards we observe in North America. We are using identical equipment and assembly line techniques. We are also employing the same principles, training and technical expertise in our work force. Our new Shenzhen facility sets a new standard for production capability, manufacturing excellence and speed to market.’