Omaha, Neb—Dec 21, 2009
Ballantyne Strong Expands Its Digital Cinema Footprint into Taiwan and Plans to Open Office in 2010
Strong/MDI Screen Systems Earns ISO 9001 Quality Management Certification
Ballantyne Strong, Inc. (NYSE Amex: BTN), a provider of digital cinema projection equipment and services, cinema screens and other cinema products reported today that it has expanded its Asian distribution rights into Taiwan for the NEC Line of digital cinema projectors.
The Company has already begun active sales and marketing efforts in Taiwan. Ballantyne plans to open an office in Taiwan in the first half of 2010 to provide sales training, service and support for all digital cinema products sold in the territory. Ballantyne’s Asian distribution territory now includes Indonesia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, the People’s Republic of China, Singapore and Taiwan.
Ballantyne president and CEO, John P. Wilmers, commented, “Taiwan is an important extension of our digital projector footprint in Asia that also provides cross-selling opportunities for other products and services. Taiwan has approximately 500-screens, roughly 90% of which have yet to be converted to digital technology. We look forward to working with leading exhibition companies in the region and serving their digital cinema needs.”
Ballantyne also announced that its cinema screen subsidiary, Strong/MDI Screen Systems, Inc., has earned International Organization for Standardization ISO 9001:2008 certification for its quality management standards and procedures. The certification encompasses all key business processes tied to quality control and product traceability, including record keeping, monitoring, regular review and evaluation of procedures as well as methods to facilitate continual improvement. The ISO certification complements the Company’s significant recent capital investment in cutting-edge technology, plant infrastructure and staff development. The ISO is a network of the national standards institutes of 162 countries with a Central Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland.
Mr. Wilmers, added, “We are proud to announce our cinema screen division’s ISO 9001 certification. Strong/MDI has been working toward this quality standard for the past 12 months. The certification is an important milestone that provides a globally respected acknowledgement of Strong/MDI’s quality standards, which should further support its worldwide sales and marketing efforts.”
