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New Sales & Distribution Centre in Malaysia

Penn Elcom Launches New Sales & Distribution Centre in Malaysia

Jane Li (Malaysia Depot Manager) in front of the new Sales & Distribution Centre in Malaysia

February 10, 2013 - Flightcase and speaker cabinet solutions specialist Penn Elcom has opened a new sales and distribution hub in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

This is designed to enable fast access through local sales support centres - primarily in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand - of the full range of Penn Elcom products.

It reflects generally buoyant markets and strong trading in Asia over the last 12 months, as well as being an integral element of Penn’s planned medium-term global expansion strategy.

Heading up the operation will be Jane Li, who has worked for some time as Operations Manager for Penn’s Logistics & Quality assurance centre in Xaimen, China. She will initially run a full time staff of three people.

The creation of the new KL facility enables Penn Elcom’s clients and end users of all sizes to benefit from direct shipments and optimised efficiency, ensuring even faster turnarounds for their orders.

“It effectively streamlines our entire operation servicing this part of Asia and the surrounding areas,” confirms Phil Stratford, CEO of Penn Elcom Inc.

He adds that they in turn will have access to a far broader customer base and clients already enjoying Penn Elcom’s renowned service can tap in to numerous additional advantages including immediate access to products and same-day dispatch / shipping.

Penn Elcom will be the only hardware and component manufacturer in the region to offer such a comprehensive range of these types of products from stock.

Penn Elcom’s Chinese based manufacturing operation was launched in 2005. The company was among the first in the entertainment industry to underline the potential for high end, quality-engineered production in China delivering all the standards of excellence for which the brand is famous.

Penn Elcom has also recently expanded its 19 inch rack production capacity in China.

Expansion of Asian Manufacturing Operation

Penn Elcom Acquires Forsight in Further Expansion of Asian Manufacturing Operation

Roger Willems, Penn Elcom’s Chair, and Mrs Qi, General Manager of Forsight

January 21, 2013 - Specialist flightcase and speaker hardware manufacturer, Penn Elcom has acquired the majority shareholding in Chinese based 19 inch rack manufacturer Forsight.

In a move which is part of Penn Elcom’s planned medium term strategy for expansion in the region, Forsight will relocate to a newly constructed facility adjacent to Penn’s existing Asian operation in Guangdong Province, China.

The resulting 55% increase in floor space gives the combined operation a total of 17,000 square metres. The incorporation of the cutting edge CNC technology utilised in Forsight’s rack production will further enhance Penn’s existing high-end manufacturing capabilities.

First off, Forsight’s new production line will be a fresh range of high quality 19 inch rack cabinets for distribution throughout Asian and global markets via Penn’s existing global network of Depots and Distributors.

This will include an imperial model geared specifically to the USA, and an option of threaded rack rails for the other world markets - eliminating the need for cage nuts - and simplifying the process of populating racks with equipment and panels.

Penn-Elcom Chair Roger Willems comments, “Forsight is already an established and well respected manufacturer with a reputation for fine engineering and robust product lines. In addition to this experience, they will bring their extensive CNC based knowledge and substantial hardware investment to the Penn Elcom equation”.

The 19 Inch rack market is expanding rapidly for Penn Elcom in Asia and the Pacific Rim, particularly in the AV, IT and surveillance market sectors.

The past five years has seen the company investing heavily to ensure that the appropriate infrastructure is in place to tap this potential, and to maintain its capability to deliver products made to the standards of excellence for which Penn is renowned.

There will be full continuity between Penn’s Chinese operation and their two manufacturing plants in the UK – in Hastings, East Sussex and Washington, Tyne & Wear.

Production capacity has also been simultaneously ramped up in Hastings.

Over a million pounds worth of investment in 2012 saw the floor space dedicated to rack manufacturing boosted to 9,000 square metres, with a complete tooling upgrade and the addition of the latest Trumpf machinery to the existing suites, making this the largest concentration of Trumpf technology in Europe.

Rack design, technical information and production planning schedules will be shared between Hastings and China, with a duplication of manufacturing processes, RoHS certification and other quality control procedures at both sites.

“This ensures not only a continuity of availability, but also maximises global logistics, allowing us to respond immediately to demand from any location worldwide,” explains Willems, adding that this is a “must” in today’s marketplace.