OFS, Hengtong to Form Joint Venture

OFS, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Furukawa Electric Co., based in Tokyo, and the Hengtong Optic-Electric Co., of WuJiang City, China, have agreed to form a joint venture company in China to manufacture and distribute optical fiber preforms used in the production of optical fiber. The new company will be named Jiangsu OFS Hengtong Optical Technology Co.

As part of the agreement, OFS, as a US manufacturer of optical fiber and related products, will bring vapor axial deposition optical fiber preform technology and expertise to this greenfield operation. Hengtong, an optical fiber and cable company, brings optical fiber draw and cable manufacturing expertise to the deal.

"Preform technology represents the core value in the optical fiber industry and both parties see this joint venture as another important step toward further cooperation to better serve their customers," said Gao An Min, president of Hengtong.

"China is an important market for us as it is the largest optical telecommunications market in the world. Continual fiber-to-the-X and 3G [third-generation] rollouts and the supporting optical network are part of the government's long term view for a globally competitive telecommunications infrastructure," said Timothy F. Murray, chairman and CEO of OFS. "This joint venture represents a significant strategic investment in China. OFS and Hengtong Group are an excellent match with a mutual commitment to serve customers in the highly competitive global optical telecommunications industry."

For more information, visit: www.ofsoptics.com