Epson sees 15% sales hike

MANILA, Philippines - Epson Philippines Corp. is projecting its sales would grow by at least 15 percent in fiscal year 2013 compared to the previous year due to strong demand for its products.

“(We expect) more than 15 percent growth in sales against last fiscal year,” Epson Philippines president Toshimitsu Tanaka said in an interview.

The firm’s fiscal year starts in April and ends in March.

The firm has been posting an average of 10 percent growth in sales in the previous years.

Tanaka said the higher sales are expected to be supported by demand for the firm’s inkjet printers and projectors.

“For the printer... our running cost is much much affordable against others. This low running cost is widely accepted by Filipino customers, not only consumer-type of users but also corporate and government users,” he said.

He said the firm’s projectors are also enjoying demand particularly from educational institutions and offices.

Epson Philippines’ inkjet printers and projectors sold in the domestic market are manufactured at the LiMA Technology Center in Batangas.

Earlier this year, the firm’s manufacturing arm, Epson Precision (Philippines), Inc.  completed its investment of approximately $110 million for a new manufacturing plant for projectors and printers next to its existing inkjet printer facility in Batangas.

The investment is intended to increase the firm’s production capacity.