Japanese Hitachi has announced that they will close their last remaining TV factory and formally quit the LCD and plasma TV manufacturing market. Instead Hitachi wants to outsource operations.
Hitachi closes last TV factory
The Japanese TV industry is not looking good. Sony’s TV division is bleeding, Panasonic is also struggling to turn profitable, and Hitachi is now forced to close their last remaining TV factory, officially quitting the TV manufacturing market. Hitachi cites price competition as the reason.
Hitachi plans to outsource their TV production
The factory in Gifu, Japan had a monthly capacity of 100,000 TVs of both LCD and plasma technology. The factory will produce projectors and semiconductor products from September 2012 instead.
For some time Hitachi has increased outsourcing of products to Taiwan and this is the final step in the process. Only components will be manufactured in Japan.
Hitachi stressed that they will continue to sell consumer TVs but not in-house products. Instead they will use partners in Taiwan.
Hitachi closes last TV factory
