XN000022-1976-03-09 — Page 3

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TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 1976

TIMELY NEW MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR TEXTILE PRINTING PLANT

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THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, MR. ROY PORTER, SAID TODAY THAT THE DECISION BY SUBLIPRINT FAR EAST LIMITED TO SET UP A $50 MILLION FACTORY IN HONG KONG TO MANUFACTURE HEAT TRANSFER PRINTING PAPER FOR THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY WAS BOTH WELCOME AND TIMELY.

HE SAID THAT IN VIEW OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY TO HONG KONG'S ECONOMY, THERE WAS A CONSTANT NEED TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF SERVICES TO THE INDUSTRY IF HONG KONG WAS TO MAINTAIN ITS COMPETITIVE POSITION IN WORLD MARKETS. THIS PLANT WILL ENABLE LOCAL TEXTILE MANUFACTURERS TO FURTHER IMPROVE THE STANDARD OF THE IR PRODUCTS.

MR. PORTER WAS SPEAKING AT THE SIGNING OF THE LEASE FOR A 92,600 SQ. FT. SITE AT TUEN MUN NEW TOWN FOR THE FACTORY.

SUBLIPRINT IS A SUBSIDIARY OF SUBLISTATIC S.A., OF SWITZERLAND,' WHICH COMMANDS MORE THAN 60 PER CENT OF THE WORLD'S TEXTILE TRANSFER PRINTING MARKET,

MR. PORTER SAID THAT DISCUSSIONS WERE GOING ON WITH SEVERAL OTHER COMPANIES WHICH ARE INTERESTED IN ESTABLISHING HIGH TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRIES IN HONG KONG AND IN MAY THIS YEAR,+ HE ADDED, I WILL BE GOING TO SWITZERLAND AND GERMANY, TO TELL INDUSTRIAL ISTS ABOUT INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES HERE.+

HE EXPLAINED THAT HIGH TECHNOLOGY, RELATIVELY HEAVY INDUSTRIES CAN BUY LAND FROM THE GOVERNMENT BY PRIVATE TREATY.

THE HEAT TRANSFER PRINTING PROCESS IS PARTICULARLY SUITABLE

· FOR KN1TWEAR FABRICS. IT INVOLVES EXTREMELY HIGH PRECISION PRINTING OF PATTERNS AND DESIGNS ON TO SPECIAL PAPER WITH SUBLIMATE DYES, WHICH ARE TRANSFERRED TO FABRIC WHEN THE PAPER IS IN CONTÁCT AND HEATED. IT IS A NEW INDUSTRIAL PROCESS TO HONG KONG AND INTRODUCES VERY HIGH TECHNOLOGY, MR. PORTER POINTED OUT.

HE SAID THAT THE FACTORY WOULD EMPLOY MORE THAN 300 LOCAL SKILLED WORKERS INITIALLY, AND THAT SOME OF THEM WOULD BE TRAINED IN EUROPE. THE WORK FORCE WILL EXPAND TO OVER 500 WHEN THE FACTORY IS IN FULL PRODUCTION SOME TIME IN 1979.

THE COMPANY HOPES TO START ITS FIRST PHASE OF PRODUCTION BEFORE THE END OF THIS YEAR TO CATER FOR THE 1977 DESIGNS. WHEN IN FULL PRODUCTION THE FACTORY WILL PRODUCE MORE THAN 80 MILLION SQUARE METRES OF PAPER A YEAR.

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