FISA News Release

After the plant constructed in Argentina, Colombia was the place selected by Furukawa to build its next production plant and the Valle del Cauca Department selected due its strategic location.

Aiming at strengthening and expanding its operation in the Andean region and in Central America, Japanese multinational Furukawa will build an optic fiber cables production plant in Palmira, Valle del Cauca. From this plant the local market will be supplied as well as countries located on the American Pacific Ocean, enjoying the different free-trade treaties with Colombia.

“Our goal is to expand the Company’s international participation offering complete solutions in telecommunications and IT infrastructure, meeting the needs of each country and market demand through complete client follow-up from civil works conception, with initial assessment of cabling and construction type needs” said Foad Shaikhzadeh - President of Furukawa in Latin America and Global Vice-President of Furukawa Electric.

María Claudia Lacouture, President of Proexport stated that “the Pacific Alliance is one of the most important aspects for Brazilian investors, which identifies for them competitive opportunities to install their companies in Colombia aiming at attending, especially, the markets in Chile and Peru. They equally show interest in using the country as an export platform to the USA and other nations with current trade agreements”.

María Eugenia Lloreda, Executive Director of Invest Pacific, declared: “the arrival of a high-technology company such as Furukawa will generate enhancements in competitiveness and employment demand growth as qualified telecommunications and IT human resources will be needed, which will later be trained to international standards”.