Bridgestone Set to Consolidate Domestic Plants for Advanced Chemical Products Nov. 29, 2021. - Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108) has announced that group company Bridgestone Diversified Chemical Products Co. Ltd. (BDCP) will be consolidating its plants for advanced chemical products. The move will see BDCP’s nine production bases consolidated down to six. As for the employees of the three plants to be closed, Bridgestone believes that they are highly skilled and experienced, passionate about their jobs […]
Toyoda Gosei Launches Colored Tote Bags and Other Products Made of Airbag Fabric Nov. 26, 2021. - Toyoda Gosei Co. Ltd. (TYO:7282) has launched a range of eco-friendly bag products made from airbag fabric, including colored tote bags and colored pen cases. This comes as Toyoda Gosei looks to reduce the environmental impact of its production activities – from material procurement through to disposal – as part of its broader push to achieve SDGs. The company has […]Companies Look to Expand SUV Tire Lineups as Sales Battle Begins for Studless Winter Tires Nov. 25, 2021. - The competition over studless winter tire sales has gotten properly under way for another year. Even as they acknowledge the market’s unpredictability amid the continued pandemic, each tire manufacturer here is aiming to boost sales by expanding their SUV-related product lineups, as well as by making the most of the lessons they learned from pursuing sales in the midst of […]
Bridgestone Ranked Gold in Pride Index of LGBTQ-Inclusive Workplaces Nov. 22, 2021. - Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108) has been awarded the top Gold rating for the fourth consecutive year in the Pride Index, which ranks companies on their inclusiveness toward LGBTQ employees and other sexual minorities. The Pride Index was established by work with Pride, a voluntary organization that aims to create LGBTQ-friendly workplaces in Japan across corporate and organizational boundaries. Having established a […]
Companies Look to Expand SUV Tire Lineups as Sales Battle Begins for Studless Winter Tires Nov. 25, 2021. - The competition over studless winter tire sales has gotten properly under way for another year. Even as they acknowledge the market’s unpredictability amid the continued pandemic, each tire manufacturer here is aiming to boost sales by expanding their SUV-related product lineups, as well as by making the most of the lessons they learned from pursuing sales in the midst of […]
Toyo Tires Posts Improved Performance for Q3 on Back of Strong Tire Sales Nov. 24, 2021. - Toyo Tire Corp. (TYO:5105) has released its business results for the third quarter of calendar 2021, showing 283.81 billion yen ($2.46 billion) in sales revenue, up 14.6 percent year-on-year, and 39.66 billion yen in operating income, up 79.9 percent. Going into detail on what has driven this change in operating income, Toyo Tires revealed that upward factors included 19.7 billion […]
Bridgestone Set to Consolidate Domestic Plants for Advanced Chemical Products Nov. 29, 2021. - Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108) has announced that group company Bridgestone Diversified Chemical Products Co. Ltd. (BDCP) will be consolidating its plants for advanced chemical products. The move will see BDCP’s nine production bases consolidated down to six. As for the employees of the three plants to be closed, Bridgestone believes that they are highly skilled and experienced, passionate about their jobs […]
Toyoda Gosei Launches Colored Tote Bags and Other Products Made of Airbag Fabric Nov. 26, 2021. - Toyoda Gosei Co. Ltd. (TYO:7282) has launched a range of eco-friendly bag products made from airbag fabric, including colored tote bags and colored pen cases. This comes as Toyoda Gosei looks to reduce the environmental impact of its production activities – from material procurement through to disposal – as part of its broader push to achieve SDGs. The company has […]Asahi Kasei Records Major YoY Increases in First-Half Performance on Back of Material Segment Nov. 17, 2021. - Asahi Kasei Corp. (TYO:3407) has posted its business results for the first half of fiscal 2021, revealing a 19.4 percent year-on-year increase in sales – reaching 1.18 trillion yen ($10.27 billion) – and a 47.4 percent increase in operating income, 113.14 billion yen. Ordinary income too was up, marking a 53.9 percent increase to 119.23 billion yen; as was net […]
NOK Seeks Agreement Regarding Price Hike for Seal Products Nov. 16, 2021. - NOK Corp. (TYO:7240) is advancing negotiations with its customers to seek agreement on a price hike for its seal products. This would include the company’s oil seals, O-rings, gaskets and more. A leading Japanese manufacturer of seal products, NOK announced back on Sept. 6 that it would be increasing prices on its seal products by up to 20 percent starting […]
Interview: Toyoda Gosei President Toru Koyama Discusses Efforts to Balance New Initiatives With Existing Businesses Apr. 23, 2021. - Inaugurated as president of Toyoda Gosei Co. Ltd. (TYO:7282) last June, Toru Koyama stepped into the role amid a raft of major changes in the business environment – including COVID-19 as well as the accelerating trend in automotive electrification. Speaking recently with Japan Rubber Weekly, Koyama said for fiscal 2021 that he aims to see the company land a proper […]
Zeon President Kimiaki Tanaka Sees Promising Market for Specialty Elastomers Jan. 15, 2021. - Speaking recently about the future of his company’s business for elastomer materials, Zeon Corp. (TYO:4205) President Kimiaki Tanaka said COVID-19 has made it clear that there is strong global demand for specialty elastomers. This can also be interpreted, he said, to mean that elastomers without specialized characteristics will have to be offered at a low price if they are to […]
Yokohama Rubber Donates 40 Tires to Mie Prefecture for Use on Vaccine Transport Vehicles Jun. 18, 2021. - Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd.’s (TYO:5101) Mie Plant has donated 40 tires for vaccine transport vehicles to Mie Prefecture, providing these on June 1. This comes as part of the plant’s efforts to help out the local community and support medical countermeasures against COVID-19. The donated tires have been fitted to official vehicles used for transporting COVID-19 vaccines to hospitals, health […]Bando Chemical Offers Employees Paid Leave for COVID-19 Vaccination Jun. 10, 2021. - Bando Chemical Industries Ltd. (TYO:5195) is bringing in special paid leave days for its employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19. By providing this paid leave, the transportation and conveyor belts manufacturer aims to reduce health risks from COVID-19 and help prevent its spread. However, the company will only recommend vaccination rather than require it, leaving it up to each individual […]
Bando Chemical Launches New Device to Monitor Swallowing Habits Nov. 10, 2021. - Bando Chemical Industries Ltd. (TYO:5195) launched sales last month for B4S, a health care device in the form of a swallowing monitor that utilizes the company’s proprietary C-Stretch stretchable strain sensor. The new product is able to easily perceive throat movement: the B4S device is pressed against the throat, with its embedded C-Stretch stretchable strain sensor then perceiving throat movement […]
Toyoda Gosei Develops New Airbag to Protect Pedestrians Oct. 28, 2021. - Toyoda Gosei Co. Ltd. (TYO:7282) has developed what has been dubbed a “pedestrian protection airbag,” which serves to protect the head of any pedestrian hit by a fitted vehicle. This marks the company’s first entry into the field of airbags aimed at protecting pedestrians and other vulnerable road users. The highest mortality rate among Japanese traffic accidents is seen in […]
Asahi Kasei Records Major YoY Increases in First-Half Performance on Back of Material Segment Nov. 17, 2021. - Asahi Kasei Corp. (TYO:3407) has posted its business results for the first half of fiscal 2021, revealing a 19.4 percent year-on-year increase in sales – reaching 1.18 trillion yen ($10.27 billion) – and a 47.4 percent increase in operating income, 113.14 billion yen. Ordinary income too was up, marking a 53.9 percent increase to 119.23 billion yen; as was net […]
Tokai Carbon Sees January–September Sales Revenue Rise 28% Year-on-Year Nov. 8, 2021. - Carbon black manufacturer Tokai Carbon Co. Ltd. (TYO:5301) has posted its business results for the first three quarters of fiscal 2021, revealing 185.1 billion yen ($1.63 billion) in sales revenue, up 28 percent year-on-year, and 17.67 billion yen in operating income, up 137.9 percent. Looking at individual segments, the company’s carbon black business generated 72.26 billion yen in sales revenue, […]
