Xerox to invest $25m in toner plant

Xerox has announced plans to invest $25 million (nearly £15,900,000) in the coming year to expand its toner facility in New York.

The expansion of the EA Toner plant in Webster, which aims to meet growing demand for the chemically grown toner used in Xerox printers and production presses, will increase manufacturing capacity by 50%.

The printer manufacturer said construction to expand the Emulsion Aggregation (EA) Toner plant will begin this month and is expected to finish by the end of 2011.

According to the firm, the expansion is also set to add 10 engineers and union technicians to the current workforce of around 75, while bringing the total capital investment in the plant to nearly $100 million (around £63,600,000).

The EA Toner plant, which opened in 2007, currently features more than 20 miles of pipe and stainless steel tanks that produce billions of micron-sized toner particles.

EA toner, which was developed by Xerox and is protected by more than 300 patents, produces sharper images using less toner per page, according to the company.

Since EA toner was first introduced, Xerox and Fuji Xerox have designed more than 50 office and production printing products that use the material.

Wim Appelo, president of the Xerox Global Business and Services Group, said: "As one of the world's largest producers of toner, we have looked at several alternatives on how and where to expand our manufacturing capacity."

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