Sonopress Expands In Asia

Sonopress, one of the world's largest makers of CDs and DVDs, has boosted its presence in the Asia-Pacific region by opening a manufacturing plant in Singapore.

The company, a subsidiary of Bertelsmann's media services arm, Arvato, has invested some $20 million in the plant's launch, and plans to invest a similar amount over the next two to three years to double its output. Sonopress Asia Pacific CEO/managing director Wesley Lau says, "With this new facility in Singapore, we will expand our coverage into the Southeast Asia region, as well as Australia."

Sonopress, which already has a plant in Hong Kong, hopes that the Singapore facility at Woodlands will boost regional revenue from last year's $40 million to between $150 million and $200 million over the next five years.

According to Arvato chief executive Uwe Swientek, "Our decision to set up a facility in Singapore is a sign of bigger things to come. The group is keen to engage our customers in the region more intensively by bringing our services closer to where their markets are."

Sonopress claims a 2% market share in the CD-replication business in Asia, a figure described by Swientek as "too small." The company hopes to garner 10% of the market by 2005. Sonopress customers include Microsoft, Disney, IBM, and Hewlett-Packard.