Camarillo, CA-Coming on the heels of record orders in 2003 for the fifth year in a row, phoenix|x-ray Systems + Services Inc. plans to expand business in the U.S.

A first step will be the establishment of a new office in the United States to expand the existing sales network. The new structure will be based on sales divisions for the East and West Coast, each overseeing sales, service and applications departments. The East Coast office will be managed by the newly appointed Vice President Boris Mathiszik.

In charge of the West coast sales division will be Vice President David Lehmann, who has been with the company for more than four years. Bob Maziuk is going to be sales manager for the key nondestructive-testing market.

Part of the product diversification strategy will be the establishment of a joint venture between phoenix|x-ray and SIEMENS AG (Munich, Germany). The two partners are going to set up a new enterprise for the development and distribution of highly resolving industrial computed tomography systems.