Toshiba opens Singapore joint venture

The promising medical equipment market in Southeast Asia has promptedToshiba to open a joint-venture company to handle sales, serviceand marketing of its medical products in the region. The new company,Toshiba Medical Systems Asia, will be based in Singapore and isa joint venture with Gold Lite, a Singapore-based firm that hasdistributed Toshiba medical products since 1979. In announcingthe new venture, Toshiba said the medical equipment market inSoutheast Asia is enjoying double-digit growth rates that arelikely to continue in coming years. Establishing its own facilityin Singapore will improve the company's ability to respond tocustomers in the area, Toshiba said.