Vitec Videocom Costa Rica inaugurated an expansion of its Cartago factory last week in order to produce the Italian Manfrotto tripod. The tripod will be added to the list of devices produced by Vitec under such trademarks as O’Connor, Vinten and Sachtler.

Julio Lizano, chief of Vitec operations here, said that the reputation of Vitec was such that the company decided to transfer part of its production from Italy.

“In the past, they would have moved the operation to Germany or Britain,” said Lixzano. The addition to the factory cost $5 million and raises the whole operation to more that 5,500 square meters.

The augmented operation will hire some 100 new workers in the next three years. The company exports between $30 million and $35 million annually.

Vitec started here 27 years ago with a modest $150,000 investment, employing 15 persons. It has since undergone two expansions and now employs 150 people. It was the first company to establish operations in the Cartago Free Trade Zone, and was the first British company to operate here.

The tripods are used to hold video cameras steady and were used to film parts of The Hobbit and the London Olympics.

Source: Fijatevos.com