Konica Minolta 2001 Annual Report Download - page 14

Konica Corporation/ Annual Report 200 1
12
EM & ID Business Group
Strengthening Price-Competitiveness with Our Leading-Edge Fine-Filming Technology
Sales surged 3 2 .6%, to ¥ 1 2 .2 billion,
and operating income gained 4 4 .4%, to
¥ 2 .6 billion.
When our new factory c ommenc ed
operation in Marc h 20 0 0 , it marked
our full entry into the triacetyl cellulose
( TAC) film business for liquid c rystal
display ( LCD) polarizing plates— an
information technology ( IT) -related
product that shows significant growth
potential. Our sales in this area enjoyed
strong growth despite the fact that
demand for LCD panels suffered a
temporary slump following the
slowdown of the U.S. economy.
Moreover, our new factory gives us
greater production c apacity and
achieves a level of product quality that
meets even the market’s most stringent
demands.
As for future business development,
the tight supply and demand situation is
expected to continue for a while, so in
the near future we will focus on
providing a stable supply of products to
increase our market share. As part of
this move, we are now beginning to
serve as supplier to polarizing plate
manufacturers in Taiwan and South
Korea. We will also enhance our fine
filming proc esses and technology to
prepare for the intensifying pric e
competition expected ahead. As fine
filming technology is owned only by
filmmakers, this will help us reduce
costs and add value, which will improve
our price-competitiveness. In addition,
we are planning to begin production at
a second plant in April 20 0 2 , even
though we just finished expanding our
first plant in Marc h 2 0 0 1 . The second
plant became necessary due to the
market’s continued rapid growth.
Inkjet Business Group
Developing the Component Business with Our Advanced Head Technology
Sales c limbed 4 6 .4 %, to ¥ 4 .1 billion,
and the operating income ( loss)
improved to ¥0 .7 billion, a 30 %
decrease from the previous period.
Sales of media ( paper) posted
strong gains and played a large role in
our increased income in this area.
Leading the way was our Konica Inkjet
Paper Photolike QP, whose superior
gloss, high image quality and quick-
drying microporous technology have
earned high praise. Strong sales of this
product helped us capture about 6 0 % of
the market for high-quality glossy paper.
We also ac c elerated the start of our
component business ( inkjet heads and
inks) and began business negotiations
related to OEM supply.
As for future business development,
in the short term we will generate more
business focusing on media ( paper)
and seek to expand the business of
inkjet head and ink c omponents.
Especially, the industry is evolving
quickly toward higher-density, 512 -
nozzle heads and a greater range of
inks. Progress in these areas will help us
expand our component business. Also,
we are trying to gain a new foothold in
the large-format printer field, marketing
our large printers to the advertising and
light printing industries. In our
marketing ac tivities, we promote the
high-performance heads, high printing
speeds and superior image quality that
distinguish our printers.
2.2%
Net Sales
0.8%
Net Sales
0
3
97 98 99 00 01
9.2
12.2
6
9
12
15
0
1
97 98 99 00 01
2.8
4.1
2
3
4
5
Net Sales ( ¥ billions)
Note: Net sales in this category began with the fisc al
year ended Marc h 31 , 20 00.
Net Sales ( ¥ billions)
Note: Net sales in this category began with the fisc al
year ended Marc h 31 , 20 00.