Dow Chemical Japan to Raise Prices on Propylene Glycol Ether Apr. 12, 2021. - Dow Chemical Japan Ltd. has announced that it will be raising the prices of its propylene glycol ether solution products by at least 40 yen ($0.37) per kilogram starting May 1. Explaining its reasoning here, Dow Chemical Japan noted that costs are continuing to rise for propylene glycol raw materials, including not only propylene oxide but also acetic acid and […]
Yokohama Rubber’s Advan Sport V107 Selected as OE Tire for New BMW EV Apr. 9, 2021. - Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. (TYO:5101) recently announced that it is supplying Advan Sport V107 tires as OE for the iX3, a new electric vehicle (EV) being sold by BMW AG. The Advan Sport V107 is a high-performance tire under Yokohama Rubber’s premier Advan series. In developing a version of this tire specifically for use in the iX3, Yokohama Rubber and […]
Bridgestone Completes Sale of Firestone Building Products Apr. 7, 2021. - Bridgestone Americas Inc. has completed the process of selling subsidiary Firestone Building Products Co. LLC (FSBP) to LafargeHolcim Ltd. The transaction here saw FSBP valued at $3.4 billion. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, FSBP produces commercial roofing and building envelope products across 15 production bases. The company’s sales revenue for 2020 came to approximately $1.8 billion, and it manages roughly 1,900 […]
Major Rubber Companies Carry Out Much Smaller Spring Recruitment Drive for 2021 Apr. 6, 2021. - Japan Rubber Weekly recently surveyed Japan’s major rubber companies and their affiliates about their spring recruitment efforts for 2021. Among the 28 companies that responded, 1,093 new graduates were employed in this year’s spring recruitment intake – down by some 590 graduates, or 35.1 percent, when compared to the 1,683 graduates hired by the same companies last year. While a […]
Yokohama Rubber’s Advan Sport V107 Selected as OE Tire for New BMW EV Apr. 9, 2021. - Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. (TYO:5101) recently announced that it is supplying Advan Sport V107 tires as OE for the iX3, a new electric vehicle (EV) being sold by BMW AG. The Advan Sport V107 is a high-performance tire under Yokohama Rubber’s premier Advan series. In developing a version of this tire specifically for use in the iX3, Yokohama Rubber and […]
Yokohama Rubber’s Hokkaido Retread Tire Plant Wins Local Award for Zero-Emissions Effort Mar. 30, 2021. - Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. (TYO:5101) subsidiary Yokohama Tire Retread Co. Ltd. has seen its Hokkaido Plant win the grand prize in Hokkaido Prefecture’s zero emission awards, becoming the first tire manufacturer to do so. The term “zero emissions” refers here to all waste being taken from an industry and reused as raw materials elsewhere. This concept is being pushed by […]
Okamoto Moves to Establish New Chinese Plant for Automotive Interior Materials Mar. 25, 2021. - Okamoto Industries Inc. (TYO:5122) is set to establish a new plant for the production of automotive interior materials in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Operated by a new subsidiary named Okamoto Manufacturing Wuhan Co. Ltd., the new plant is set to see construction begin this May and finish in December. The Wuhan plant will give Okamoto a third production base for […]
Denka Releases Video Showcasing Company Efforts to Supply Ingredients for Antiviral Drug Avigan Feb. 8, 2021. - Denka Co. Ltd. (TYO:4061) has released an approximately eight-minute video documenting its project to supply diethyl malonate for use in Avigan, an antiviral drug being touted as a potential treatment for COVID-19. The video has been made available on the company’s website. The video brings to life the story of how Denka, responding to a government request, managed to get […]
Dow Chemical Japan to Raise Prices on Propylene Glycol Ether Apr. 12, 2021. - Dow Chemical Japan Ltd. has announced that it will be raising the prices of its propylene glycol ether solution products by at least 40 yen ($0.37) per kilogram starting May 1. Explaining its reasoning here, Dow Chemical Japan noted that costs are continuing to rise for propylene glycol raw materials, including not only propylene oxide but also acetic acid and […]
Trinseo Acquires World’s First Mass Balance Certification for SBR, Aiding Sustainable Tire Production Apr. 8, 2021. - Global latex adhesive and synthetic rubber manufacturer Trinseo SA has acquired mass balance certification from the body of International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC), a system for certifying sustainability. Trinseo has received certification for three materials: styrene–butadiene rubber (SBR) manufactured in Schkopau, Germany; polyethylene manufactured in Tessenderlo, Belgium; and polycarbonate manufactured in Stade, Germany. This is the world’s first instance […]
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 […]
Interview: Toyoda Gosei President Naoki Miyazaki Explains Plans to Boost Revenue in 2020 Jan. 30, 2020. - Facing a tough market and a need for innovation, Toyoda Gosei Co. Ltd. (TYO:7282) has been making a range of moves to solidify its business foundations and pave the path for future growth. Company president Naoki Miyazaki recently sat down with Japan Rubber Weekly to give some insight into these plans. To begin with, Miyazaki noted that 2019 saw Toyoda […]
Natural Disasters Keep Infrastructure-Related Demand Strong Even Amid COVID-19 Oct. 2, 2020. - While economic conditions are taking a hit from COVID-19, Japan’s demand for infrastructure-related products has avoided any major slump, staying comparatively firm. The infrastructure maintenance sector makes use of a wide range of rubber and plastic products for all sorts of applications. This includes conveyor belts and hoses used for moving materials and dirt at building sites, as well as […]
Denka Research for Infection Testing Selected for Subsidies Under AMED Project Jun. 17, 2020. - Denka Co. Ltd. (TYO:4061) announced on June 10 that it has been offered subsidies for an in-house R&D effort focused on infection testing. The company has been working here to develop and test new multiplexed diagnostics technology that targets COVID-19 alongside a range of other infections. The subsidy offer came in on May 28 from the Japan Agency for Medical […]
Sumitomo Riko Creates Prototype of Seat-Fitted Driver Monitoring System Apr. 5, 2021. - Sumitomo Riko Co. Ltd. (TYO:5191) has been working in recent years to develop a driver monitoring system. And now the company has created a prototype that can be fitted to seats. Able to be fitted to all kinds of vehicles, this prototype driver monitoring system serves to acquire information regarding the driver’s vitals – such as heartbeat and breathing – […]Shin-Etsu Chemical Develops New Silicone Materials for Heat Dissipation in EVs, Hybrids Jan. 27, 2021. - Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. Ltd. (TYO:4063) has developed a range of new silicone materials for heat dissipation, and is targeting these toward use in electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). With the global automotive sector moving toward electrification at an increasing pace, the market is seeing more advanced and diverse demands for heat countermeasures in the likes of lithium-ion […]
Toyo Tires Forecasts Revenue and Profit Growth for 2021 on Back of 8.6% Sales Increase in Tires Business Mar. 1, 2021. - Toyo Tire Corp. (TYO:5105) has released its business forecast for calendar 2021, indicating a recovery for the year. The company is projecting 372 billion yen ($3.49 billion) in sales revenue, up 8.2 percent year-on-year; 44 billion yen in operating income, up 21.1 percent; 42.7 billion yen in ordinary income, up 38.2 percent; and 26.4 billion yen in net income, up […]
Yokohama Rubber Expects to Grow Revenue, Profits for 2021 on Back of Strong Tire Sales Feb. 26, 2021. - Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. (TYO:5101) has released its results forecast for calendar 2021. The company expects to generate 620 billion yen ($5.83 billion) in sales revenue for the year, up 8.7 percent year-on-year; 50 billion yen in business profit, up 35.9 percent; and net profit of 34.5 billion yen, up 31.1 percent. Looking at the upward and downward factors on […]
