PULAU PINANG, Feb 10 (Bernama) -- Eclipse Automation Inc, a leading supplier of custom automated manufacturing equipment for the life sciences, energy, transportation, consumer electronics, and industrial industries, announced its first manufacturing facility in Asia to be based in Pulau Pinang. A groundbreaking ceremony for the new facility was held today at Batu Kawan, Pulau Pinang. The facility is set to serve its major customers across Asia Pacific and other regions and factory construction is expected to commence within the first quarter of 2022 with commercial operations targeted to begin in 2023. 

Eclipse Automation is headquartered in Ontario, Canada and has 20 facilities strategically located in the vicinity of Fortune 500 companies and manufacturing centres across Canada, United States and Central Europe. The latest expansion is part of the group’s commitment to increase manufacturing production capacity to meet global demands. 

“The new facility in Batu Kawan is expected to create approximately 150 new jobs by 2025 with about 80 per cent of the employees from the technical and engineering background. This project is timely and significant as it can contribute to the Malaysian economy in terms of highincome employment amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. This project which further strengthens Malaysia’s position as a strategic destination for global Machinery and Equipment (M&E) players that will create a multiplier effect within the domestic economy in terms of local supply chain usage and technology transfer,” shared Datuk Arham Abdul Rahman, Chief Executive Officer of Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA).

The Eclipse Automation Malaysia site will span three (3) acres of prime industrial land, with a production area of 55,000 square feet and an office area of 27,000 square feet designed to fully support the compliance needs of the customers within the life sciences sector, as well as serving the high-tech automotive, alternative energy, and consumer industries. This site will  also act as a cost-effective and desirable strategic location for continued global growth, in collaboration with Eclipse’s current technology and manufacturing hubs in Canada, the U.S.A., Germany, Hungary and Switzerland. 

Eclipse Automation CEO, Mr. Steve Mai, said “We celebrated the Year of the Tiger with a brave new level of expansion within our business. Eclipse Malaysia will further extend its reach, to bring customers’ expert regional support, service and fulfillment within Asia. The site in Pulau Pinang will provide exceptional, value-added manufacturing options to best support global programs, including replication line and outsourcing model platforms. Our Malaysian facility will also employ a large team of highly-qualified engineers, assemblers and other support teams to enhance our ability to provide solutions with a powerful follow-the-sun model of service. We appreciate MIDA for supporting us throughout our journey and Malaysia's probusiness, pro-trade and business-friendly investment policies have played a key role in helping us make our investment decision.” 

“With our Government’s business-friendly policies, investors such as Eclipse Automation can leverage on Malaysia’s strategic location, a vast network of infrastructure, strong support industries as well as talented workforce to become prominent players within the global value chain. I am also confident that Eclipse Automation’s investment will be another major step forward for Malaysia and their growth here will be beneficial for our local industry and people.” added Datuk Arham.

In 2021, a total of 49 M&E projects have been approved with an investment value of RM1.3 billion. Of the total, 27 were new projects, with investments amounting to RM753.7 million (56.3 per cent). The remaining 22 were expansion/diversification projects worth RM584.4 million (43.7 per cent). Most of the investments approved were from foreign sources amounting to RM906.0 million or 67.7 percent, while the remaining RM432.2 million (32.3 per cent) were from domestic direct investment (DDI). These approved projects are expected to create 2,253 new job opportunities. 

Associated images for the media release can be found at https://bit.ly/3BdAv5n 

About MIDA 
MIDA is the government’s principal investment promotion and development agency under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) to oversee and drive investments into the manufacturing and services sectors in Malaysia. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur Sentral, MIDA has 12 regional and 20 overseas offices. MIDA continues to be the strategic partner to businesses in seizing the opportunities arising from the technology revolution of this era. For more information, please visit www.mida.gov.my and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.  

About Eclipse Automation, Inc
Founded in 2001 and with over 900 employees, Eclipse offers customized automation and manufacturing solutions from prototype to production for major MNCs across the globe in the field of machinery and equipment. Eclipse Automation had long been involved in Design & Manufacturing of factory automation systems and modules for a wide variety of industrial applications, and accelerator for innovation and invention in the automation industry. For its sixth consecutive year, Eclipse was recognized as one of Canada’s Best-Managed Companies for overall business excellence by Deloitte’s Best Managed Companies program. Eclipse was also a six-year recipient of the Growth 500 Award that celebrates Canada’s most dynamic and successful businesses. For more information about Eclipse Automation Inc, please visit www.eclipseautomation.com 

Source: Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA)

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: 
Name: Ms. Zakiah Sajidan
Director, Machinery & Metal Technology Division, MIDA
Tel: 03-2267 3628
Email: zakiah@mida.gov.my

Name: Ms. Patty Atwell
Global Director, Marketing & Communications Eclipse Automation Inc.
Cambridge, Ontario, CANADA
Tel: +1 519-620-1906 ext:734
Mobile: +1 519-635-1722
Email: PattyA@EclipseAutomation.com

Name: Mr. Mathew Perera
General Manager Eclipse Malaysia Sdn. Bhd.
Penang, MALAYSIA
Tel: +604-589-9988
Mobile: +6016 419-5438
Email: Mathew.Perera@EclipseAutomation.com 

--BERNAMA