Acer unit gets Singapore partner for Subic expansion

Wistron Infocomm Philippines Inc., a unit of Taiwanese computer giant Acer Corp., has tied up with Singapore-based logistic support provider Global AirFreight to bolster its bid to transform Subic Bay Free Port and special economic zone as one of its global logistics hub. Wistron managing director Robin Wang said in a statement that the joint venture will put up a warehouse hub inside the company's three-hectare manufacturing complex at the Taiwanese-owned Subic Bay Industrial Complex. Wang said the decision to transform the former US military naval base as its global logistics hub was brought about by growing demands owing to the perceived rebound of the electronics sector worldwide. "After several months of experimentation and testing, Wistron came up with an improved system by creating a global networking team for a more efficient access to our suppliers without delays because of an advance stockpiling scheme and well-organized warehousing management system," he added. For his part, Global Air Freight deputy chairman William Cheng said his company has tapped Philippine-based international freight forwarder Airlift Asia Inc., to handle the warehousing management, as well as catalog markings, as well as stockpiling. Airlift Asia operates an office warehouse in Parañaque City and inside the Mactan export processing zone in Lapu Lapu City. Cheng added that Global Air-Freight, on the other hand, would be involved in outsourcing various suppliers of computer parts needed by Wistron Infocomm. Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority chairman Felicito Payumo witnessed the signing of the memorandum of agreement between Wistron Infocomm and Global AirFreight. "Velocity is the name of the game to be able to survive the highly competitive global market, and Wistron is taking this attitude earnestly," Payumo said in a statement. The Wistron Group is using a worldwide system of hubs, including vendor and customer-side hubs, to quickly and efficiently build and deliver products to its global customers. The just-in-time hubs serve to maximize overall efficiencies of the supply chain from initial incoming components at its manufacturing plants to finished goods shipping to customer sites. Wistron Corp. was formally established in July of 2001 and now has over 9,000 employees. It now operates six manufacturing sites, six regional service hubs, one global repair center as well as three R&D centers worldwide. Besides Subic Bay, Wistron has existing facilities in Tokyo, Japan; Taipei, Taiwan; Hsinchu, Taiwan; Zhoongshan, China; Kunshan, China; Shanghai, China; Tatabanya, Hungary; Den Bosch, Netherlands; Juarez, Mexico; Temple, Texas; El Paso, Texas; and San Jose, California. Wistron Infocomm is the biggest investor registered with SBMA, with investments exceeding $120 million. It employs more than 3,000 workers who produce laptop computers, motherboards, peripherals, fax machine dynamic random access memory, computer integrated circuits, hybrid microelectronics and software. Aside from Acer brands, it also produces top-quality IBM and Hitachi laptops as well as personal computers.