Kinpo Group eyes Phl as manufacturing hub

Taiwanese conglomerate New Kinpo Group (NKG), through its Philippine subsidiary Cal-Comp Technology (Philippines) Inc., plans to make the country its largest manufacturing hub in Southeast Asia.

NKG plans to hire 5,000 Filipinos in the next 12 to 18 months as it moves to expand its operations in the country with the construction of two additional manufacturing plants.

Specifically, the company wants to double its workforce in the Philippines by 2020, as the country becomes NKG’s largest manufacturing hub in the region.

Among the most in-demand posts are research and development engineers, operators, administration positions, and managers and executives.

NKG said Southeast Asia is expected to continue outgrowing other regions due to lower labor costs and increasing talent.

“NKG is intent on expanding its manufacturing base in the Philippines through Cal-Comp Technology. The country’s deepening talent

pool and Filipinos’ excellent language capabilities are key assets to a global operations like ours,” NKG and Cal-Comp Technology CEO Simon Shen said.

Cal-Comp Technology already employs 10,000 workers in its two local plants.

These two plants are the Lima Technology Center in Lipa City, and the First Philippine Industrial Park (FPIP) in Sto. Tomas both in Batangas province.

The company is building two more plants, with one of them already operational by September this year. The new facilities will house the firm’s fresh labor force, Shen said.

It is also developing its research and development (R&D) capabilities in the Philippines by increasing its local engineering division from over 140 engineers to close to a thousand.

“Filipino engineers will have access to NKG’s global design, strong R&D capabilities, stringent quality management, and strong financial resources to support their training,” Shen said.

He said it takes three to five years to fully train a new engineer

“It takes time, but we believe in Filipino talent, and we are eager to impart world-class training through our smart factory solutions, intelligent warehouse and automated guided vehicles (AGV), and intelligent machinery and robotics,” he said.

To support this expansion and job creation in the Philippines, Cal-Comp Technology is undertaking an initial public offering by yearend to raise about P6.77 billion

Proceeds from the IPO will be used for facilities expansion, acquisition of new equipment, and research and development.