Nikon to resume production after earthquake

Nikon's Sendai plant to resume production before the end of March

In a statement today, Nikon indicates that its "severely damaged" digital SLR plant in Sendai, Japan will resume operation before the end of March, while its lens plant in Tochigi prefecture was up and running as of March 18. Normal levels of production may be difficult to achieve, however, owing to "problems such as the planned blackouts of electricity and procurement of components from our business partners," says the statement. In addition, the company is reporting that one of its Sendai employees died as a result of the earthquake and tsunami that swept the region earlier this month, and that the status of three others is not known at this time, presumably because they are missing. Nikon builds the D3X, D3S, D700 (still not due to be replaced this year, even before the earthquake hit) and F6 cameras at its manufacturing facility in Sendai. More information is in the press release below. Press release from Nikon 2nd Notice on the impact by the Major Earthquake in Northeastern Japan March 22, 2011 The Nikon Group would express our deepest condolences to the victims of the earthquake and extend our profound sympathy and heartfelt concern to those individuals and families suffering from the disaster. We have set up the Emergency Headquarters for Disaster Control headed by the President on March 11 immediately after the earthquake, and have been gathering safety information of our employees, examining damage to the manufacturing equipment and continuing every effort to resume operation at the earliest possible. The following is an update regarding the impact of the earthquake on the Nikon Group and outlook on the future production. 1. Safety of the employees To our deepest regret, death of one employee of Sendai Nikon Corporation has been confirmed. Safety of three employees is not yet confirmed in the area of Natori City, Miyagi Prefecture. 2. Damage to the manufacturing equipment and outlook on the future production One of our own plants and seven of our manufacturing subsidiaries are located in Miyagi Prefecture, Tochigi Prefecture and Ibaraki Prefecture in the disastrous region*. Operation has been suspended at all of them after the earthquake. At Tochigi Nikon Corporation, operation has started from Friday, March 18. At Sendai Nikon Corporation and Miyagi Nikon Precision Co., both of which have been severely damaged, operation is expected to resume by the end of this March. Operation at the remaining facilities will start tomorrow on March 23. Even after operation resumes, we have a concern that the situation may happen where our production cannot fully satisfy our customers’ requirement due to inability of full swing production caused by problems such as the planned blackouts of electricity and procurement of components from our business partners. While we will do our utmost effort to overcome such expected difficulties, we will be most grateful if our customers could understand such circumstances. We assure to extend our best support for restoration of the facilities hit by the disaster to our customers of Precision Equipment and Instruments business, and repair/servicing to our customers of Imaging business suffering from the disaster. 3. Forecast of effect by the damage to our business performances We are continuing our endeavor to evaluate how the immediate damage by the disaster and planned blackouts of electricity will result in our group companies and business performances. We will announce our findings immediately when it is judged that there will be important change in our forecast. * Locations of each plant and manufacturing subsidiaries Mito Plant, Nikon Corporation : Mito,Ibaraki Pref. Sendai Nikon Corporation : Natori, Miyagi Pref. Miyagi Nikon Precision Co., Ltd. : Zao-machi, Katta-gun, Miyagi Pref. Zao factory, Nikon-Trimble Co., Ltd. : Zao-machi, Katta-gun, Miyagi Pref. Tochigi Nikon Corporation : Otawara, Tochigi Pref. Tochigi Nikon Precision Co., Ltd. : Otawara, Tochigi Pref. Kurobane Nikon Co., Ltd. : Otawara, Tochigi Pref. Nasu Nikon Co., Ltd. : Nasukarasuyama, Tochigi Pref. Note: Nikon-Trimble Co., Ltd. is an equity-method company. Nasu Nikon Co., Ltd. is a subsidiary of Nikon-Essilor Co., Ltd. which is an equity-method company.