In a move to gain a larger share of the U.S. RFID market, Omron Corporation announced it will invest $20 million this year and next in U.S.-based facilities. Omron, a Japanese manufacturer of automation and sensing products, has been in the RFID arena for over 20 years on a global basis. The U.S. opportunity lies with Wal-Mart's RFID mandate that by 2006 its next largest 200 suppliers will have to be RFID compliant. Currently Wal-Mart's top 100 suppliers are required to have RFID tags.
"RFID is an important, global initiative which requires a large investment. I believe RFID could be a major growth engine for the company," says Hisao Sakuta, president and CEO of Omron.
Omron is also targeting other retailers -- Best Buy and Target -- as well as electronics, pharmaceutical and consumer packaged goods companies and the U.S. Department of Defense, an early entrant into the RFID market.
Omron will open a testing center in St. Charles, Illinois in addition to its headquarters office and training center in Schaumburg, Illinois. Following this U.S. initiative, Omron RFID will expand and create similar operations on the European continent and in China.
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