Japan trip brings hope for plant expansion at NEC's Roseville site

ROSEVILLE - City officials are hoping that a recent trip to Japan to meet with NEC Electronics brass will foster improved relations and possibly open the way for a plant expansion at the company's Roseville site. Roseville's contingent included city manager Craig Robinson, Mayor Rocky Rockholm and Mayor Pro-tem Gina Garbolino. They traveled on Oct. 22-28 with the Sacramento Area Commerce and Trade Organization, as well as Barbara Hayes, the local NEC manager.With new leadership on both ends, Robinson says the meeting was an opportunity for both sides to meet and came at a good time. Roseville welcomes a new mayor later this month in Garbolino and Robinson hadn't been formally introduced to new NEC worldwide president Kauro Tosaka. "We had not met him yet, and we have a new mayor and a new manager, so we had new leadership in both entities," Robinson said. "We wanted to go meet with them. We also know that NEC is contemplating an expansion and investment to their plant, so we wanted to go solidify that relationship."Robinson says the Roseville contingent played up the city's utility reliability, as well as the schools and other infrastructure. Companies like NEC are key to more than just the local economy, he adds. "They not only help drive that, but the regional economy as well," Robinson said. "You figure that an NEC industrial job will create 2.5 to 2.7 other jobs. It creates service jobs for businesses that service NEC and support NEC."Robinson added that while no promises were made, the company may wait until 2005 to make a decision on a proposed expansion. NEC's chip production plant has suffered cutbacks in six consecutive years, dwindling from a peak employment of 2,200 full-time staff in 1998, to 715 presently, says Denise Garibaldi, company spokeswoman. Tosaka is expected to visit the Roseville plant in January or February, but Garibaldi added that such visits are typically scheduled on a quarterly basis and do not necessarily indicate anything other than a routine visit. He was last stateside in October and hence is due for another visit, she adds. "Right now there's no change in the business as far as an expansion goes," she said. "But obviously, we're always looking at our needs."Jason Probst can be reached at jasonp@goldcountrymedia.com.