Date:11/11/2005 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/11/11/stories/2005111102000400.htm

Back Avalon to start another facility in MEPZ

Our Bureau

Chennai , Nov 10

AVALON Technologies, a subsidiary of the US-based Sienna Corporation, is starting a new manufacturing facility inside the Madras Export Processing Zone (MEPZ).

This is the company's fourth facility inside the zone, according to Mr T.P. Imbichammad, Chairman, Sienna Group.

It has invested Rs 15 crore in the new facility, which would manufacture various electronics products, including printed circuit boards, he told presspersons.

The Rs 150-crore group is an electronics manufacturing services provider to original equipment manufacturers. It gets designs from clients and manufacturers products for them, according to Mr Imbichammad.

The group is aiming to generate revenues of Rs 550 crore by 2008. With further investment of Rs 75 crore planned in the next three years in Chennai, the company expects to increase its number of employees to about 2,000 by 2008 from 700 now, said Mr Kunhamed Bicha, CEO, Sienna Corporation.

Sienna is also in the process of completing a $4-million acquisition of a Japanese automobile electronics facility in Atlanta, US to service the automobile sector. The company also plans to acquire a defunct unit inside the MEPZ, Mr Imbichammad said.