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The Talon Division of Tag-It Pacific Inc., a full service outsourced "trim management department" or manufacturers of fashion apparel, has signed its third franchise agreement since October, opening markets in Latin America to its "Talon" brand of apparel fasteners. The agreement includes a $10 million minimum purchase agreement for the five-year period, with production and order fulfillment expected to commence by April. The agreement is the third international franchise agreement the company has completed. In October and November, Talon signed on franchisees in both Central and Southeast Asia, respectively. As with its other global franchises, the Los Angeles-based company will provide rolled zippers in bulk, along with equipment for finishing the zippers for addition to finished garments…

Automotive technology pioneer ZAP has received a second 100-unit wholesale purchase order for its SMART Car, bringing the total in wholesale fleet orders in hand to almost $5 million. ZAP unveiled the SMART Car to US consumers in November at the San Francisco International Auto Show, announcing that the US Environmental Protection Agency has issued a Letter of Conformity. This regulatory approval clears the way for ZAP to begin organizing US marketing and distribution for the SMART Car. ZAP has an exclusive distribution contract with SMART-Automobile LLC for the rights to sell the cars in the US with a near-term goal of 150 dealer outlets by second quarter of fiscal year 2005. The SMARTCAR incorporates advanced automotive technologies, including fuel-efficient automobiles powered by gasoline, electric, hydrogen and other fuels. The company was founded in 1994 and does business in more than 60 countries…

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. has begun to promote sales of television sets with plasma displays in North America, in a bid to vie with South Korean makers, company officials have said. The Japanese consumer electronics giant formed a 200-member team last October to enhance sales at large-scale stores and tripled spending for advertisement, they said. The company has said it will streamline the administration division of Matsushita Electric Corp. of America, the hub company in North America, later this month, and slash workforce there to around 2,900 from 3,300 in the current business year to next March. It also plans to change the name of the North American unit so it will contain the Panasonic brand name; and…

Micro Therapeutics Inc. plans to consolidate its global manufacturing operations into a single manufacturing location at its headquarters in Irvine, California, and has closed its 60-person facility in Bochum, Germany. The new Irvine facility, the company said, will now supply global demand for all MTI products, including its expanding line of embolic coils. The company develops, manufactures and markets minimally invasive medical devices for the diagnosis and treatment of vascular disorders. It's primary focus is on catheter based technologies and products for the interventional neuroradiology market.

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