OTTAWA, Canada -- Enablence Technologies Inc., a leading supplier of fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) equipment for triple-play residential and business services and optical components and subsystems for access, metro and long-haul markets, is entering into a joint venture with China's SUNSEA Telecommunications Co., a move that will strategically position Enablence's Optical Components and Subsystems Division to capitalize on the vast opportunity presented by the Chinese market for broadband telecommunications equipment.
The joint venture, to be called Sunsea-Enablence Optoelectronics, will be established in Foshan, China, with operations expected to commence July 2011 subject to regulatory approvals in China. Its initial focus will be on producing components based on Enablence's proprietary Planar Lightwave Circuit (PLC) platform in high volumes. Its product lines will further expand into PLC based modules and transceivers.
Sunsea-Enablence Optoelectronics will be created with an initial capital investment of $18 million, of which Enablence will contribute $3.5 million in cash and $1 million in equipment, as well as its market-leading expertise in developing and manufacturing optical components based on its PLC technology. Enablence will hold a 49-percent ownership stake in the joint venture (all figures in U.S. dollars).
In the first year of operation (expected to be July 2011 through to June 2012) Enablence and SUNSEA expect the joint venture to generate revenues of approximately $8 million to $10 million. This is expected to rise to approximately $15 million to $20 million in the second year of operation. The partners expect the venture to be profitable and accretive to earnings within the first year.
"While Enablence already has valued partnerships with leading technology vendors in China, this is our first joint venture in one of Asia-Pacific's fastest growing telecommunications market," said Tim Thorsteinson, CEO of Enablence. "SUNSEA has an established supply chain, not just in China, but with other global vendors targeting other markets, into which they can introduce our PLC-based components. We look forward to a long and profitable relationship."
Enablence Technologies Inc. (Toronto: ENA)