Packard Bell to set up plant in Penang (HL)

PACKARD Bell has decided to locate its new 300,000-square foot manufacturing plant at the Bukit Minyak Industrial Park in Prai, Penang, instead of Singapore. Its Asia-Pacific managing director Dr Lim Huat Seng gave two reasons - lower operational costs and the ease of expansion - for Packard Bell favouring Malaysia. The Penang operations will produce personal computers (PCs) under three brand names - Packard Bell, NEC and Zenith - for exclusive consumption of the Asian region, Lim said. He explained that the decision to establish a production plant in the region was in line with Packard Bell's overall market expansion plans. "The situation in this region is quite similar to our European…