Rogers Corp.’s Advanced Circuit Materials Division (ACMD) opened a new production facility April 13 in Asia, one of its largest market regions. Rogers’ new ACMD Suzhou, China manufacturing facility represents a major investment in the modern China Suzhou Innovation Park. This ACMD dedicated production facility significantly increases Rogers’ global capacity for its high-performance RO4000® circuit laminates by about 50 percent, with room for additional growth.
“It is for our customers in China and throughout Asia that we have made a $20 M investment in this factory, and another sizable investment in our people here in Suzhou and across Asia. These investments position us well to better serve our customers’ needs,” Michael D. Bessette, Senior Vice-President for Rogers ACMD said at the grand opening.
The new facility, which includes manufacturing, engineering, quality control and customer service functions, boosts Rogers’ worldwide production capability for its popular RO4000 high-frequency circuit laminates. The materials are widely used as the printed circuit boards (PCBs) for power amplifiers in third-generation (3G) and fourth-generation (4G) cellular wireless communications systems. The facility houses state-of-the art material and electrical analysis capabilities in support of technical service, market development, and sales organizations throughout Asia.
Rogers Corp. first expanded into China in 2002 with a manufacturing facility for its ENDUR division. Between 2004 and 2010, Rogers added another four factories within the industrial park site, opening its sixth facility in April 2011—ACMD Suzhou—as the industrial park itself is making its transition to a science and technology focused innovation park.
At the grand opening, Bessette explained that it is the quality of products such as the RO4000 laminates, and in finding new solutions for their customers, that accounts for Rogers ACMD’s steady growth.
“Our success in developing innovative new products for growth markets is the primary reason why the Advanced Circuit Materials Division has grown by about a 12 percent compounded annual growth rate over the past ten years,” he said.
