Kelvin Chow, Today Online 13 Aug 08;
SINGAPORE’S bid to become a leading player in the field of clean and sustainable technology has received another boost. Wellington Drive Technologies, a leading supplier of energy-saving motors and fans, opened its manufacturing and logistics head office here yesterday.
The 15,000-square-foot facility in Tampines — representing $4 million in investment— which houses some key research and development efforts, was officially opened Minister for National Development,Mr Mah Bow Tan.
Once the New Zealand-listed company’s initial phase is fully operational early next year, it will employ more than 120 staff, including research and production engineers, churning out 1.2 million units per annum.
Its motors consume just a third of the electricity normally used. The company will mainly export them to Western Europe and North America. Its customers include leading retailers like Walmart, Tesco and Aldi.
Why Singapore? Wellington’s chief executive Dr Ross Green pointed to “Singapore’s respect for intellectual property, strong legal system, world-leading infrastructure, talented and hardworking population makes us delighted to be here”.
Mr Mah said: “The opening of the Wellington is timely. Not only does it reflect the high level of confidence and trust that the manufacturing industry has in Singapore and the region, it also demonstrates Singapore’s commitment to supporting technologies that can help reduce the impact on climate change.”
Looking forward, Wellington intends to increase production to five million units per annum in early 2010. It is also in early stages of discussion with local Nanyang Technological University on some research and development projects.
NZ's Wellington Drive to shift production to Singapore
Business Times 12 Aug 08;
SINGAPORE - New Zealand's Wellington Drive Technologies, which makes energy-saving motors and fans, said on Tuesday it plans to shift manufacturing to Singapore and that it expects to turn a profit by the second half of 2009.
The firm will shift volume production from New Zealand to Singapore by next year, leaving staff in its home country to focus on engineering and short-run production, the firm said.
It did not say how many jobs will be affected by the move.
Wellington Drive chief executive Ross Green told Reuters the firm's $4 million (US$2.84 million) Singapore facility, which will be ready next year, will produce an initial 1.2 million motors and fans or double the firm's existing production capacity.
Output will increase to 5 million units a year by 2010 as the firm expects increasing global demand for its products, which are used in electric appliances like airconditioners and refrigerators.
'Looking at our growth, we have gone from essentially nothing to making hundreds and thousands of motors a year in less than three years, and we are now able to see earnings taking off,' Mr Green said.
He said the firm expects to report a profit for the second half of 2009 after posting losses in the past three years.
Wellington Drive counts US supermarket operator Kroger Co and Japanese appliance-makers like Matsushita Electric and Sanyo among its major customers.
The company reported a net loss of NZ$3.9 million (US$2.7 million) for the six months ended December 2007, narrowing from a loss of NZ$6.3 million in the year-ago period. -- REUTERS
