Despatch Industries Opens Regional Office in Taiwan


HSINCHU, TAIWAN--(Marketwire - February 24, 2009) - Despatch Industries, a 107 year old global provider of thermal processing equipment to the solar, carbon fiber and thermal technology markets, announces the official opening of its regional office in Hsinchu, Taiwan. Despatch operates its global headquarters out of Minneapolis, Minnesota and also has regional offices in Shanghai, Singapore and Berlin. The Taiwan office will house the company's sales, service and technical support operations in Taiwan.

"We have been serving the Taiwan market through distributors for many years," states Patrick Peyton, CEO. "Taiwan represents a growing and strategic market area for Despatch. As we continue to expand our global customer base and geographic footprint, it is critical to have regional offices in these growth areas. Doing so allows us to deepen our local service and support which is so important to customers."

Despatch began as a manufacturer of thermal equipment. Throughout its history, the company has evolved to become the global provider of thermal processing equipment and has influenced some of the world's greatest innovations. In 2008, Despatch realigned to focus efforts on three strategic markets: solar, carbon fiber and thermal technology. Solar is the largest market for Despatch in Taiwan and accounts for around sixty percent of Despatch's total annual revenue.

"Solar is a strong and growing industry and Taiwan is an important area for solar cell and module manufacturing," says Richard Chu, General Manager, Taiwan office. "The establishment of Despatch's regional office in Taiwan and our offices around the world shows a solid commitment to building relationships with our customers and offering the best service and support possible."

Despatch's solar product portfolio includes the new IL-RTS tool, the recently introduced 60MW dual-lane firing furnace, the integrated in-line diffusion system and the flagship metallization firing furnaces and dryers. Despatch has sold over 8GW of photovoltaic production capacity worldwide. The company's solar equipment is consistently recognized for exceptional performance and process quality, optimal cell efficiency, maximum uptime and reduced operating costs.

In addition to the office, Despatch is opening a complementary warehouse in Taiwan to store spare parts. This will allow for short lead times on critical parts and supports the company's initiative of providing global service on a local level.

Despatch provides integrated, thermal processing solutions to manufacturers throughout the world. Through innovative clean technology solutions, Despatch is playing a significant role in the effort to positively affect climate change. Despatch partners with leading solar manufacturers to provide the tools and technical expertise required for processing highly efficient, low-cost solar cells. Carbon fiber manufacturers around the world are using Despatch technology to produce super-strong, lightweight composite material for use in fuel-efficient vehicles, and aerospace and wind energy applications. We are driven by the challenge of providing advanced technology solutions for a sustainable future.

Contact Information: Media Contact: Amber Schramm Despatch Industries (Headquarters) Email: TEL: 952-469-8140 FAX: 952-469-4513