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.