IMEX Will Invest $5 Million to Upgrade Salem Plant

Governor Kulongoski has led a delegation of Oregon business leaders and state trade officials to Japan to promote Oregon products and encourage investment by Japanese companies in Oregon communities.

Governor Kulongoski greeting people at the Inchon International Airport Photo courtesy: Governor's staff

(TOKYO, Japan) - Japan`s IMEX corporation, which has manufactured refilled toner and ink cartridges in Salem since 2002, will invest $5 million in its Salem facility to upgrade the plant and expand its operations, Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski announced after meeting with the company president in Tokyo.

`Your company is helping move America in the right direction by encouraging consumers to recycle computer products," the Governor told IMEX president Akira Kitaoka and top company executives.

`Oregon supports industries like yours' environmentally sustainable companies that help create a cleaner environment and reduce the consumption of fossil fuels. We need to keep computer products out of the landfills, and you`re helping us do that. You`re also helping consumers save money."

Every recycled printer cartridge saves 2.5 liters of oil, Kitaoka told members of the Governor`s trade delegation. Kitaoka wants to increase its share of the American market for recycled cartridges, and part of the challenge is to let consumers know the company is environmentally friendly, he said. After operating for four years in Salem, IMEX turned a profit this year, spurring the investment of $5.0 million to upgrade its manufacturing facility and launch an aggressive effort to increase its American market share.

Japan is a leading trading partner with Oregon, and a hundred Japanese companies employ more than 10,000 Oregon workers.

`IMEX is a great corporate citizen, and I`m excited that its experience in Oregon has prompted its management to invest even more in its Oregon operation," Governor Kulongoski said. `This investment means more jobs for the Salem area and a stronger role for Oregon in a vital industry that makes our environment healthier and cleaner."