Argus Cameras To Build Plant In South Carolina

Argus Cameras To Build
Plant In South Carolina
Move Won't
Affect Job
Picture Here

Argus Cameras will expand
its slide and motion picture
projector departments to a new,
109,000-square-foot plant to be
built this fall in Columbia, S. C.

The announcement was made
today by Clinton H Harris,
Argus president.

He said \' .1 -sn '-^ii r:»i'iera
and optical manufacturing op-
erations will remain in Ann Ar-
bor, along with divisional head- ;

quarters. I

In addition, existing still and |
motion picture projectors will '•
|ontinue to be manufactured lo-
|ally, Harris said, with all new
models of projectors being built >|
lit Columbia. |
Will Move Some Personnel

Pilot operations are expected
(o begin in the estimated $1,'
850,800 South Carolina plant in
slightly more than a year, and
will, involve transfer of some
key personnel and some assets
to Columbia from Ann Arbor.

"The ultimate freeing of man-
ufacturing space and facilities
in Ann Arbor will enable us to.
expand photographic, optical^
and government business in the'1
future by adding new products I
and by bringing into the Ann
Arbor plant operations now per-
formed by outside vendors,"
Harris said.

^Harris indicated the projected
[expansion of still camera and
o p t i c a 1 lines here, plus new
products to be added to the
manufacturing lines, will keep
employment at the local Argusi
d)lant at its normal maximum
»vel of about 900 workers.
discusses Employment

"We just don't know what
the employe level will be in the
future," Harris said. "We can,
never be sure, but we are going
to do everything within our pow-
er to minimize this situation
(the eventual transfer and ex-
pansion to Columbia of the still
and motion picture projector
dines.)"

^Harris added:. |
I "It is our objective to in-
|erease our camera and other
'optical and military business to
keep pace with the gradual at*
trition of our projector opera^
Hons here."

I He anticipates that existing
projector models will be built
there through 1963.
!Cites Policy

| The shift of projector opera-
tions to Columbia is described
by Harris as carrying out a
Sylvania Electric Products,
Inc., policy which call for in-
dividual plants to employ no
more than 1,000 persons.

L Argus also announced today
|that sales for the first six
months of the current fiscal
year are 20 per cent ahead of
the same period last year. Firm
officials believe that the new
[Columbia installation will boost
|lrgus product lines even higher
TO the highly competitive
camera field.

Argus is the world's largest
Iproducer of "slide projectors and
is a leading manufacturer of
35mm cameras and 8 mm movie
^cameras and projectors.