Asia Optical wins big-ticket ODM digital-camera order from major Japanese brand

Taipei, Jan. 19, 2005 (CENS)--Taiwan's Asia Optical Co. has won a big-ticket original design manufacturing (ODM) order for digital cameras from a major Japanese brand and is scheduled to ship about 600,000 cameras in the first quarter of 2005, according to company sources.

Chairman Robert Lai of Asia Optical claimed that his company is already the world's largest maker of glass lens and zoon lens and will aim for the world's No. 1 supplier of digital-camera modules for cell phones in 2006.

Asia Optical reported revenues of NT$27 billion (US$843.75 million at US$1: NT$32) in 2004, up 36% from a year earlier and generating net earnings per share (EPS) of NT$12.5 (US$0.39).

Lai stressed that Asia Optical would smoothly achieve an annual revenue goal of NT$100 billion (US$3.13 billion) in 2010. The firm expects to ship 4.5 million digital cameras this year, up from last year's three million units. Of the total, three million units will be produced on an ODM basis with an estimated profit margin of 12% to 15% and the remainder for OEM production with a lower margin of 6%.

With the said big-ticket ODM order from Japan, Lai said that Asia Optical's first-quarter revenues would grow about 40% from the same period of 2004.