Orbotech Ltd. has opened its new office for flat panel display (FPD) solutions in Long Hua, China. The office will be focused on service, applications, software support, operations and sales for the growing number of LCD FAB businesses and customers in the area.

"Having a branch office in Long Hua is an important part of our growth plans to continue increasing our presence and strengthening our infrastructure in China. This is essential to meet the needs of Chinese manufacturers and offer them the best service, in terms of rapid response time, technological expertise and support capabilities," said Moshe Ashkenazi, President, Display Asia Pacific group of Orbotech. "It also further demonstrates our long-term commitment to conducting business in the region and to addressing the challenging requirements of FPD manufacturing.

Ashkenazi continued, "Establishing operations in close proximity to our customers is critical to our success as a leading FPD supplier. It helps us provide clients with either a dedicated on-site presence or a local working relationship with regular on-site visits. Whichever level of support is required, we can provide services best suited to the specific needs of each individual customer."

Orbotech systems are currently in production at all existing LCD manufacturing fabs across Greater China.

Since the mid-1990s, Orbotech has operated in Greater China to support its customers. The company has greatly expanded its presence in the country in recent years. Today, over 500 employees work from 13 branch offices throughout the region including: Kunshan, Shenzhen, Beijing and Chengdu, bringing Orbotech's world-class knowledge, experience and technology to its local customers' as their global expert in AOI, test and repair. Orbotech also has a well-established support hub and regional center in Hong Kong to provide spare parts and logistics support that facilitate immediate and localized service to its customers throughout Asia Pacific.

Orbotech's Long Hua office is located at: Room#307, No. 1 Building of Youpin, Jianshe Road, LongHua Street, Baoan district, Shenzhen. Telephone: 0755-2344 1727. Fax: 0755-2344 1754.

About Orbotech

Orbotech is principally engaged in the design, development, manufacture, marketing and service of yield-enhancing and production solutions for specialized applications in the supply chain of the electronics industry. Orbotech's products include AOI, production and process control systems for PCBs and AOI, test and repair systems for FPDs. The company also markets computer-aided manufacturing and engineering (CAM) solutions for PCB production.

In addition, through its subsidiary, Orbograph Ltd., the company develops and markets character recognition solutions to banks and other financial institutions, and has developed a proprietary technology for Web-based, location-independent data entry for check processing and forms processing; and, through its subsidiaries, Orbotech Medical Denmark A/S and Orbotech Medical Solutions Ltd., is engaged in the research and development, manufacture and sale of specialized products for application in medical nuclear imaging.

Of Orbotech's employees, more than one quarter are scientists and engineers, who integrate their multi-disciplinary knowledge, talents and skills to develop and provide sophisticated solutions and technologies designed to meet customers' long-term needs. Orbotech maintains its headquarters and its primary research, development and manufacturing facilities in Israel, and more than 30 offices worldwide. Orbotech's extensive network of marketing, sales and customer support teams throughout North America, Europe, the Pacific Rim, China and Japan deliver its knowledge and expertise directly to customers the world over. For more information, visit www.orbotech.com.