Business News
FUJIFILM Manufacturing USA Celebrates 20 Years
Monday 22. September 2008 - President and CEO Shigetaka Komori, US Senator Lindsay Graham Look to the Future
At a celebration this week marking the 20th anniversary of FUJIFILM Manufacturing, U.S.A., Inc. – Fujifilms North American manufacturing and R&D headquarters – Shigetaka Komori, president and CEO of FUJIFILM Corporation, and United States Senator Lindsey Graham recognized the milestone.
“Fujifilm has done wonderful things for South Carolina over the last twenty years,” said Senator Graham. “You have enriched our lives and we look forward to continuing our partnership as you pursue new technologies and products that will benefit the community of Greenwood and our state, and enhance the quality of life for everyone.”
Mr. Komori thanked employees for their contributions, and praised the unique government and community partnerships that helped drive the companys growth in the U.S. He also described the vast evolution Fujifilm has undergone in just a few short years, and pointed to the new markets and opportunities the company is pursuing.
“Since Fujifilm became a part of the beautiful community of Greenwood in 1988, so much has changed. Today, more than 60 percent of our revenues come from products we introduced after the year 2000,” said Mr. Komori. “We are committed to strengthening our R&D efforts to introduce unique and proprietary new products and market them on a global scale.”
Before 2000, 40 percent of Fujifilm revenue and 60 percent of its profits were generated from photo imaging products, such as color film. With the significant business shift, Fujifilm has established and realized growth in six core business segments: graphic arts, medical, high performance optical film, optical devices, photo imaging and xerography. Mr. Komori singled out the companys pursuit of new opportunities in the medical and life science business areas, as demonstrated by the recent acquisition of a pharmaceutical company in Japan.
As it expands into new businesses, Fujifilm has stepped up its efforts in R&D activities and capital investment in growth fields, accelerated structural reforms and consolidated management policies. Through those efforts, the company saw record performance last year with revenues of $27 billion and operating profit of $2 billion.
In Greenwood, Fujifilm has engaged in joint R&D efforts with leading U.S. educational institutions, including the Medical University of South Carolina. These collaborations are actively exploring new products and technologies in the alternative energy, imaging, medical and life sciences industries.