Kionix Open Offices in Asia
Kionix Inc., has established sales offices in Seoul, South Korea, and Singapore to aggressively promote Kionix sensor products to the Asian consumer electronics industry. Kionix is an Ithaca-based manufacturer of micro-electromechanical systems.

Globecomm Awarded Contract Extension
Globecomm Systems Inc., a communications company based in Hauppage, has been awarded a one year service contract extension from the Afghanistan Ministry of Communications to provide teleport services to carry Internet and Voice Over Internet Protocol traffic (VoIP). The company will utilize a partnering teleport in Hong Kong and global voice services for Afghanistan.

Chinese Firm To Use DayStar Products
DayStar Technologies Inc., a developer and manufacturer of proprietary high performance photovoltaic products in HalfMoon, N.Y., has signed a purchase agreement with Micro Energy Group Inc. for DayStar's exclusive new TerraFoil-SP solar cells. Micro Energy Group of China designs, manufactures and distributes small-power flat plate photovoltaic modules and specialty solar energy products through the company's worldwide distribution channels.

GE, Atlantic LNG Sign $400 Million Contract
GE Energy, a subsidiary of Fairfield-based General Electric, has signed a $400 million, 17-year contract to replace and service 27 gas turbines and 47 centrifugal compressors at Atlantic LNG Company's production facility in Port Fortin, Trinidad. Three turbo compression trains are currently in production at the Port Fortin facility with a fourth under construction. The total capacity of the plant places Trinidad and Tobago among the top five producers of liquid natural gas in the world.

Viacom Completes Sale of Canadian Theatre Chain
Media giant Viacom of New York City announced it has completed the sale of Famous Players, its Canadian-based theatre chain, to Cineplex Galaxy LP for US$ 400 million. Famous Players, Canada's top grossing theatrical exhibitor, operates 80 locations with 785 screens across the country.

AIG License Approved in Vietnam
American International Group Inc. (AIG) of New York City has announced that its subsidiary, American International Underwriters Insurance Company, has been notified that it will receive a license from the government of Vietnam to operate a wholly owned general insurance company in Vietnam. This would be the first general insurance license granted by Vietnam to a U.S.-based insurance organization. The license would permit AIG to operate a general insurance company throughout Vietnam and market property-casualty insurance products to both individuals and businesses. AIG Vietnam will be headquartered in Hanoi.

New York Life Receives Vietnamese Approval
New York Life Insurance of Manhattan announced that it has received a license to establish a wholly owned life insurance company in Vietnam. New York Life International already offers insurance products through its subsidiaries and affiliates in China, Hong Kong, India, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand.

Hugo Neu To Merge with Australian Firm
Manhattan-based recycler Hugo Neu Corp. announced that it has merged its operations with Sims Group Limited of Sydney, Australia, one of the largest recycling companies in the world. The U.S. operations of the combined company will be known as Sims Hugo Neu Company LLC, and will be the largest exporter of scrap steel, and one of the largest recycling companies in the United States.

IBM Inks Two Contracts
IBM and automotive giant FIAT Group of Turin, Italy, announced an information technology agreement in which Armonk-based IBM will manage key areas of FIAT's IT activities and business process transformation projects and will assume full control of Global Value, the equal joint venture founded by FIAT Business Solutions and IBM Italia in 2001. IBM also announced an agreement with brewer InBev of Brussells to manage InBev's IT infrastructure in more than 25 countries. InBev has a portfolio of over 200 brands, including Beck's and Bass.

ThinkGlobal Receives Publication Excellence Award
ThinkGlobal Inc. has received an APEX 2005 publication excellence award for its ThinkGlobal New York international trade "newsfolio." ThinkGlobal publishes quarterly international trade newsletters in New York and other states. The ThinkGlobal international trade publications are distributed at no charge to manufacturers and service providers involved in international trade. ThinkGlobal also publishes Commercial News USA, the official export promotion magazine of the U.S. Commerce Department.


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