22.09.09

Construction time for the new Allgemeine subsidiary has hardly been one year: On Sept. 21, 2009, the Chinese Umicore Jewellery Materials Processing (Foshan) Co. Ltd. was opened in the Nanhai Economic Development Zone near Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.

At this newly built site, the Umicore-motto “Materials for a better life” will again be applied to the complete range of precious metal services and products, which will be offered to the rapidly growing local jewellery industry in Guangdong Province: Precious metal refining, precious metal casting alloys, products for electroplating and all other services related to the precious metal cycle for gold, silver, platinum and palladium.

Special emphasis lies on environmentally friendly processes and workers’ safety. These guidelines for the new production facility are modeled upon the modern standards of the parent company in Pforzheim, Allgemeine, and upon the equally highly developed standards of Allgemeine’s subsidiary in Schwaebisch Gmuend (Germany), Umicore Galvanotechnik GmbH. All business processes are governed by internationally recognized compliance requirements, i.e. strict compliance to regulations and correct handling of orders are matter-of-course principles.

By taking this step, the Umicore corporation and its business unit Jewellery & Electroplating, headed by Allgemeine Gold- und Silberscheideanstalt AG, Pforzheim, are now represented by their own full service provider in the protected Chinese precious metal market. Hence new potential can be realized that would otherwise have been inaccessible.
“With our new subsidiary in the People’s Republic of China and its centre for the jewellery industry we have established our position right in the middle of one of the most dynamic growth markets worldwide,” states Dr.
Joerg Beuers, CEO of Allgemeine.