Early investment with a long-term commitment

China opened its doors to foreign trade about 30 years ago, and has grown into a world leader in manufacturing and a preferred destination for Japanese companies looking to expand their output.

ULVAC, Japan's only comprehensive vacuum equipment maker, saw this trend early and invested heavily in China. Today, this pioneer in vacuum technology has 16 subsidiaries, including nine manufacturing facilities, in China.

Its president and CEO, Hidenori Suwa, said, "We have a long history of manufacturing there and we established subsidiaries because, as an industry leader, we needed to be present there."