EDI Press Release

Extrusion Dies Industries, LLC (EDI) has opened a wholly-owned subsidiary in Shanghai to provide technical support, rework service, and spare parts for flat extrusion and coating dies built by EDI in the U.S., it was announced today by EDI president and CEO Timothy C. Callahan. The new company, EDI Precision Dies (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (EDI China) will be formally introduced by EDI at Chinaplas 2007 (Stand 1D-605).

General manager of EDI China is Jason Q. Yin, a native of China with extensive engineering experience in China and North America (see accompanying news release).  He supervises an initial staff of ten manufacturing and technical service specialists at a 1,000 sq.m facility at Songjiang, about 25 km from downtown Shanghai. EDI China will also provide sales support for EDI’s longtime agent in China, Kodama Chemical Industry, Co. Ltd.

Like EDI’s successful EDI GmbH subsidiary in Europe, the Shanghai operation can carry out both standard rework procedures like cleaning, lip sharpening, and refinishing and major upgrades such as converting a die from a manual gauge profiling system to an automated one using EDI’s Autoflex® technology. “EDI China will provide local access to technical service and rework service for users of the hundreds of EDI dies operating in the region,” said Mr. Callahan, “and will ensure new customers that our full support is readily available at startup and long after the sale.”

The establishment of EDI China is the latest in a series of initiatives since EDI was purchased in a management buyout four years ago, according to Mr. Callahan. “This has been a time of unprecedented growth for our company,” he said. “We have substantially expanded our engineering and manufacturing capabilities, developed and patented fundamentally new die technologies like our Contour Die™, purchased Liberty Coating Equipment, a leading manufacturer of slot die coating systems, and now established a full-service operation in the world’s fastest-growing market for flat dies.”

EDI China draws on the same advanced technologies as those employed by EDI in the U.S., according to Jason Yin. “The Shanghai plant is equipped with systems for machining complex flow-surface geometries and close-tolerance surface flatness,” said Mr. Yin. “We have full access to EDI’s engineering database, employ the same inspection and quality control procedures, and deliver the same excellent service as that which is available from our parent company.”

EDI Precision Dies (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., or EDI China, is headquartered at 99 Zhongde Road, Songjiang Science & Technology Park, Songjiang, Shanghai 201614, China. Tel: 86-21-578-50918. Fax: 86-21-578-50698. Email: edishanghai@extrusiondies.com.