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LAKE SUCCESS,
New York, May 22, 2001….Park
Electrochemical Corp. (NYSE
- PKE announced that its Board of Directors has approved a major
expansion of the manufacturing facility of its Nelco
Singapore business unit. The expansion will involve total capital
spending of approximately US$25 million over approximately the next
eighteen months. The company plans to fund this expansion through
currently available cash. The company's Nelco Singapore facility
currently has manufacturing capacity of approximately US$120 million
per year. When completed, the expansion program is expected to increase
the annual manufacturing capacity of the Nelco Singapore facility
to approximately US$200 million. This expansion will incorporate
the new manufacturing technology the company has recently developed
with its equipment suppliers in the area of next-generation treating,
automated set-up, automated lay-up, vacuum pressing and automated
finishing. These new manufacturing technologies are designed to
improve cycle times, product quality, product technology, manufacturing
yields and efficiencies and productivity and to reduce manufacturing
costs.
Brian Shore,
Park's President and CEO, said, "We are all very excited about our
new Nelco Singapore expansion program, as it will enable us to continue
to aggressively expand our Asian advanced circuitry materials business
and to better serve our customers in Asia. These investments signify
our continuing commitment to tomorrow's manufacturing technologies
and to our long-term strategy of working closely with our customers
in their geographic regions to help them be more successful. Notwithstanding
the current global electronics manufacturing industry correction
and downturn, we are still very optimistic about the long-term future
of the global electronics industry (especially in Asia) and we certainly
are optimistic about our company and our business over the long
haul. The expansion of our Nelco Singapore manufacturing facility
is also designed to complement our recently announced plan to establish
a business center in Wuxi, China. This expanded and enhanced capacity
at our Nelco Singapore business unit will facilitate our Company's
ability to better serve our customers throughout Asia."
Certain portions
of this press release may be deemed to constitute forward looking
statements that are subject to various factors which could cause
actual results to differ materially from Park's expectations. Such
factors include, but are not limited to, general conditions in the
electronics industry, Park's competitive position, the status of
Park's relationships with its customers, economic conditions in
international markets, the cost and availability of utilities, and
the various factors set forth under the caption "Factors That May
Affect Future Results" after Item 7 of Park's Annual Report on Form
10-K for the fiscal year ended February 27, 2000.
Park Electrochemical
Corp. is a leading global designer and producer of electronic materials
used to fabricate complex multilayer printed circuit boards and
interconnection systems. Park specializes in advanced materials
for high layer count circuit boards and high-speed digital broadband
telecommunications, internet and networking applications. Park operates
through fully integrated business units in Asia, Europe and North
America. The Company's manufacturing facilities are located in Singapore,
China (to be established during the second half of the current fiscal
year), England, France, Germany, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New
York, Arizona and California. Park's electronic materials business
operates under the "Nelco" name.
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