MUMBAI: Ballantyne Strong, Inc. a provider of digital cinema projection equipment and services, cinema screens and other cinema products, announced that its Strong Westrex China subsidiary has been selected to provide and install 160 NEC Digital Cinema projectors for China Film Group Corp in locations across The People’s Republic of China (PRC). Ballantyne currently expects to ship and install up to half the machines in 2009, with initial shipments anticipated as early as Q3, and expects to ship and install the remaining projectors in 2010. The agreement follows an initial 100-projector order that was completed during Q2 2009.

Ballantyne president and chief executive officer John P. Wilmers commented, “We are excited to build upon our longstanding relationship with China Film Group and expand our presence with this contract, our second digital projector deployment in the PRC. China continues to represent a very attractive market for our company, with approximately 6,000 cinema screens and expectations for continued expansion of that base over the coming years. We are confident that the high quality and performance of the NEC digital projector systems, combined with Strong Westrex’s technical service capabilities will ensure ongoing success in this region. We look forward to working with China Film Group and their partners to support their ongoing digital cinema needs.”

In late 2008, Ballantyne executed an agreement with NEC Display Solutions Japan granting Strong Westrex distribution rights to NEC’s line of digital cinema projectors for the PRC. Ballantyne opened a sales and service office in Beijing and is now working toward the opening of additional offices in the PRC and elsewhere in Asia in 2010.