Powerlase Ltd., a manufacturer of nanosecond Q-switched, diode-pumped solid state (DPSS) lasers, announced the opening of an office in Japan, headed by newly appointed Takanori Uematsu.

The new facility is the third fully owned international operation to be opened by Powerlase, following operations in the UK and Korea. Rapidly expanding markets, including photovoltaic (PV), solar cell, and active-matrix organic light emitting diode (AMOLED) displays, have made opening a local office in Japan an attractive prospect for the company. A number of Powerlase's existing customers also maintain head offices and manufacturing operations in Japan.

Uematsu will be responsible for business development at Powerlase, where he will support the company's growing profile in Japan and encourage expansion into new markets within Asia. Uematsu brings over 16 years experience in commercial sales to Powerlase, spanning high technology capital equipment sectors including the semiconductor and Flat Panel Display (FPD) markets. Prior to joining Powerlase, Uematsu held the position of sales manager for New Wave Research KK, where he was responsible implementing strategic growth plans in Japan by focusing on FPD repair applications.

Commenting on his new role, Uematsu states, "Powerlase is well known within the Asian marketplace, particularly for the success within the FPD manufacturing market. The establishment of a local Japanese office will be fundamental in securing a presence within newly emerging markets and I'm looking forward to building the company's profile in these growing sectors."

Les Lockwood, CEO at Powerlase, comments, "The opening of a Japanese office represents a huge step forward for Powerlase. "Uematsu San is the ideal candidate to head the operation. His experience within the FPD and semiconductor sectors and knowledge of the local area will provide an invaluable resource as we grow our presence in Japan and the wider Asian region through world class customer driven applications development."

Thu Dec 11 09:35:00 CST 2008