Element Six Industrial Synthetic Diamond Factory Opened in China

Element Six Industrial Synthetic Diamond Factory Opened in China

May 11, 2006

    SHANNON, Ireland, May 11 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- A new
industrial synthetic diamond factory has been opened on
April 19th 2006 in Suzhou, China, in the presence of
Element Six directors and shareholders, local government
officials, diplomatic representation from Ireland and South
Africa and various trade organisations. The factory in the
Suzhou Industrial Estate (SIP) is the first Element Six
manufacturing site in Asia and will produce a specialised
type of synthetic diamond for internal use in the
manufacturing of polycrystalline products.

    The total planned investment volume in Suzhou amounts
to 25 Mio US$ and will gradually be expanded to add a total
of around 300 Mio carats of synthetic diamond to the annual
Element Six synthesis capacity.

    Speaking at the opening, Mrs. Jennifer Oppenheimer
said, "Element Six has had manufacturing facilities in
Africa and in Europe for 60 and 40 years respectively, but
this dedicated diamond synthesis plant is its first
investment in Asia. Wherever it has established its
factories, Element Six has adhered to the Oppenheimer
family credo to do business in such a way that it benefits
the communities in which those businesses operate."

    Element Six CEO Christian Hultner said that "Our
factory in Suzhou employs exclusively Chinese technology in
industrial diamond synthesis. Employing Asian technology in
China combined with Western technology in South Africa and
Sweden ensures the position of Element Six as the leading
producer of industrial synthetic diamond in the
world."

    About Element Six Abrasives

    Element Six is the world's leading supplier of high
quality industrial diamond and the complementary cubic
boron nitride (cBN) abrasive materials. These materials are
available both in their single crystal and polycrystalline
forms, for abrasive and non-abrasive industrial uses. The
Element Six Abrasives group of companies operates
internationally with processing and manufacturing
facilities in South Africa, Sweden, Ireland, the UK, The
Netherlands and the Ukraine.

    About Suzhou Industrial Estate (SIP)

    The SIP is a modern industrial park East of Suzhou and
was formed as a joint venture between the Governments of
China and Singapore in 1994. The SIP was designed to be a
showcase industrial estate in China and its regulations
require that the strictest environmental standards be
adhered to by all companies operating in the estate. These
standards are considered to be even more stringent than the
strictest European environmental standards.

    For more information, please contact:

     Andreas Anker, 
     Senior Manager Group Communications
     Element Six Ltd, Shannon, Co Clare, Ireland
     Tel:  [phone]

SOURCE  Element Six Ltd