Tostem Closes Yoshimi Plant to Optimize Domestic Operation

Tostem Corporation announced on Monday the firm closes Yoshimi plant in Saitama Prefecture, Japan by the end of December 2009. Tostem reorganizes domestic plants in order to improve productive efficiency in response to the decrease of new housing starts. Yoshimi plant’s aluminium architectural material production will be transferred to Shimotsuma plant and Ishige plant in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, and Tostem’s subsidiary, TLC Tokyo, in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. Production of kitchen and bath fixtures is likely to be transferred to JS Group’s plants.

Yoshimi plant opened in September 1993 to produce aluminium architectural materials and residential fixtures such as bathes. Current employees are 84 (30 permanent staffs). Tostem’s plant number will total 23 in Japan and 2 at overseas after closing Yoshimi plant.