CHINA and TAIWAN– Despite the uneasy growth in the copper clad laminate (CCL) industry this year, Elite Material (EMC) is predicting strong sales through October as a result of growing capacity contributions from its plant in Kunshan, China. Expansion and new orders have allowed the Kunshan plant to maintain strong sales, with a utilization rate of 80%. EMC is also expanding its Zhongshan plant to increase capacity from 250,000 sheets to 600,000 sheets.
 
August sales at the company’s plant in Hsinchu, Taiwan, were up by 9.2% as a result of orders from new customers including LG, Unimicron Technology and Compeq Manufacturing. September sales are expected to reach $1 billion.