This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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First disc plant for Scotland
18/05/2004
An East Kilbride firm's ambitious move
into the Czech Republic has brought benefits to Lanarkshire
with the news today that their Czech partner is to invest
$2 million in the first CD and DVD manufacturing facility
in Scotland.
Enterprise Minister Jim Wallace
announced details of the deal today when he visited Thomson
Litho's plant just outside Prague as part of a three day
visit to the new accession countries.
The Minister praised the company for
their can-do approach which led them to follow one of their
main customers, Compaq, to Prague and has resulted in them
securing further work with household names such as Sony,
Toshiba and HP. Thomson Litho established their Czech
operation in 2001 and now employ more than 100 people
there.
Speaking at the factory Jim Wallace
said:
"It is clear that Thomson Litho's move
to the Czech Republic is one that has paid off for them.
Their can-do approach has been rewarded and they are a
clear example to other Scottish firms of the opportunities
that do exist in the new accession countries.
"The news today that their Czech
partner, GZ Media, is to invest $2 million in setting up
the first CD and DVD manufacturing facility in Scotland at
East Kilbride shows the kind of unexpected spin offs that
can come from establishing global connections and having an
ambitious approach.
"Thomson Litho are the embodiment of a
Smart, Successful Scottish company. Their success is built
upon their not just their ambition but their skills. They
are the only authorised replicator for Microsoft in Central
and Eastern Europe and have recently received Sony
accreditation for their Czech operation in their Green
Partner programme."
Thomson Litho are a family-owned and
run company with their headquarters in East Kilbride. They
are a high-tech company specialising in providing support
services such as printing, CD/DVD manufacture and IT
services to some of the world's leading technology
companies.
Their initial move to the Czech
Republic came when the company was supplying computer
manuals to Compaq in Erskine and Compaq decided to
sub-contract PC manufacturing to a firm in the Czech
Republic. Thomson Litho moved to remain close to their
customer and retain the business.