SHANGHAI -- (BUSINESS WIRE) --
Expanding its international reach and proximity to global automotive markets, technology leader Laird (LRD: London) today opened a new telematics manufacturing plant in Shanghai to serve the international automotive market.
Shanghai is emerging as a global hub for technological innovation, giving it the infrastructure and talent to support Laird as it continues designing and manufacturing industry leading solutions.
As drivers, passengers, and fleet management companies demand more connectivity out of their vehicles, the market for complex antenna solutions is expanding. Laird’s telematics products bring the many needs of asset tracking, GPS, cellular, Bluetooth, and more all into one efficient package.
The company’s new plant increases production capacity and efficiency while allowing for exacting quality control - ensuring that Laird continues to offer the most innovative and competitive telematics solutions to the world’s leading automotive manufacturers and fleet management companies with reliable fulfillment and speed.
The new plant, which covers 17,151 square meters (184,616 square feet), serves as both a design and manufacturing center for Laird. An in-house engineering team utilizes local ingenuity and technical expertise, which is then leveraged by the manufacturing team to produce “smart” antenna solutions and applications.
The team also produces components that enable machine-to-machine (M2M) communications and other emerging mobile technologies, such as vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communications, all of which will greatly enhance driver safety, the passenger experience and the management of vehicle assets in the future.
The facility became fully operational on Wednesday following a festive ceremony led by Laird’s Chief Executive Officer David Lockwood.
“Embedded in the design and construction of this plant are improved techniques for both communication and for the management of production areas,” Lockwood told the customers, regional dignitaries, government officials, journalists, and employees in attendance.
During the ceremony, worldwide insurer FM Global awarded the new plant the prestigious “Highly Protected Risk” status, highlighting Laird’s commitment to employee safety and reliable fulfillment for its customers.
Lockwood later added that, “this is another example of Laird’s investment to support growth in the market.” Earlier this year the company opened a new production facility in Vietnam and will open a third as part of an expansion in Warren, Ohio.
Laird also recently acquired a majority stake in Korean based Model Solution which provides prototype and development services, helping customers to rapidly introduce new products into the market.
Laird’s new plant in Shanghai employs around 1,200 workers, and is located in the Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park. It is one of three Laird plants in Shanghai and replaces a much older and smaller plant nearby. The company expects to create more jobs in the future as the plant expands operations.
Laird currently employs nearly 7,000 people at 16 facilities across Asia, and around 9,000 people worldwide.
Besides Shanghai, Laird’s Asian sites are located in Kunshan, Shunde, Chongqing, Quanzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Tianjin, China; Penang, Malaysia; Singapore; Bucheon, Seoul, Korea; Bac Ninh Province, Vietnam, and New Taipei City, Taiwan.
To learn more about Laird’s telematics solutions, visit www.lairdtech.com.
CONTACT:
Laird
Paul Mottershead, +44 7711 039095
P.mottershead@laird-plc.com
or
for Laird
Julie Zhang
JulieZhang@mostrata.com