Showa Denko Sees Decline in Chloroprene Rubber Sales for First Quarter May. 29, 2020. - Showa Denko KK (TYO:4004) recently released its business results for the first quarter of calendar 2020, revealing a decline in both sales and profit metrics. The company posted sales of 171.73 billion yen ($1.6 billion), down 26.8 percent from the same period last year; operating income of just under 2.47 billion yen, down by 94.6 percent; and ordinary income of […]
Inoac Launches Standalone Sales for Mask Filters May. 28, 2020. - Inoac Corp. has moved to expand its range of offerings in the market for polyurethane masks. Having already been selling full masks here as domestically produced products, the company recently also launched standalone sales for filter sheets to be used in these masks. Inoac’s masks are seamless polyurethane products that can be hand-washed and reused numerous times. In terms of […]
JSR Forms Comprehensive Tie-up With Tokyo University’s Department of Physics May. 27, 2020. - JSR Corp. (TYO:4185) recently announced that it has formed a comprehensive collaboration with the Department of Physics at the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Science. Joint research here started up on April 1. The first initiative under the tie-up is to establish a collaborative research base for bringing together physics and chemistry. Named the “JSR–UTokyo Collaboration Hub, CURIE,” this […]
Mitsui Chemicals, Nagoya University Begin Joint Development of Reusable 3D-Printed Mask May. 22, 2020. - Mitsui Chemicals Inc. (TYO:4183) has teamed up with Professor Katsutoshi Hori of the Graduate School of Engineering at Nagoya University and Friend Microbe Inc., a venture stemming from Nagoya University, to start development for a reusable 3D-printed mask. The greatest feature of this new mask promises to be virus-blocking capabilities while also offering reusability. This is achieved with a reusable […]Sumitomo Rubber Sees Decline in Business Profit for First Quarter May. 26, 2020. - Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (TYO:5110) has released its business results for the January–March quarter of calendar 2020 in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). The company reported sales revenue of 190.79 billion yen ($1.77 billion) for a year-on-year decrease of 9.7 percent, while business profit decreased 54.7 percent to 2.57 billion yen. Tire operations recorded sales revenue of 163.19 […]
Bridgestone Looks to Expand European Sales Network by Acquiring Germany’s Reiff May. 20, 2020. - Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108) subsidiary Bridgestone Europe NV/SA recently announced that it has concluded a final agreement to acquire Reiff Reifen und Autotechnik GmbH, a supplier of automotive services including tire sales in southern Germany. The agreement was concluded on May 1; the amount paid for the acquisition has not yet been revealed. Reiff controls a retail network of 42 tire […]
Inoac Launches Standalone Sales for Mask Filters May. 28, 2020. - Inoac Corp. has moved to expand its range of offerings in the market for polyurethane masks. Having already been selling full masks here as domestically produced products, the company recently also launched standalone sales for filter sheets to be used in these masks. Inoac’s masks are seamless polyurethane products that can be hand-washed and reused numerous times. In terms of […]
Inoac Launches Online Sales for Polyurethane Masks as Coronavirus Drives Shortages Apr. 21, 2020. - Inoac Corp. launched sales on April 17 of a face mask with a washable polymer body, offering this as a way to help alleviate the nationwide shortage of masks caused by the spread of COVID-19. The major rubber and polyurethane foam products manufacturer is conducting sales through the online shop of subsidiary Inoac Living Co. Ltd., though these have been […]Showa Denko Sees Decline in Chloroprene Rubber Sales for First Quarter May. 29, 2020. - Showa Denko KK (TYO:4004) recently released its business results for the first quarter of calendar 2020, revealing a decline in both sales and profit metrics. The company posted sales of 171.73 billion yen ($1.6 billion), down 26.8 percent from the same period last year; operating income of just under 2.47 billion yen, down by 94.6 percent; and ordinary income of […]
Kuraray Holds Online Trade Show for Automotive Industry May. 25, 2020. - Kuraray Co. Ltd. (TYO:3405) is holding an online trade show focused on the automobile industry over May 20 – June 30. Through on-demand video and other such means, the chemicals company is showing how the Kuraray Group’s materials can provide various next-gen solutions for the automotive industry with a focus on the environment, safety and comfort One of the products […]
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 […]
Interview: Gates Unitta Asia VP Shuji Miyamoto Details Plans for Sales Growth Jan. 21, 2020. - Gates Unitta Asia Co. is making a number of efforts to improve its sales of V-belts, auto tensioners and more across the Asian market. Shuji Miyamoto, who serves as VP at the company, recently took some time out to sit down for an interview with Japan Rubber Weekly and talk about Gates Unitta Asia’s efforts toward this. 2020 is expected […]
Denka Begins Producing Raw Materials for Avigan as Effort Against Novel Coronavirus May. 21, 2020. - Denka Co. Ltd. (TYO:4061) recently began production of diethyl malonate for use in Avigan, a potential COVID-19 treatment known also by the generic name of favipiravir. This production began on May 16 at the chemical company and chloroprene rubber producer’s Omi Plant in Itoigawa, Niigata Prefecture. Denka sees itself as having a social responsibility to help out with measures against […]
Mitsui Chemicals Sees Sales Revenue Drop for FY2019 May. 18, 2020. - Mitsui Chemicals Inc. (TYO:4183) recently posted its business results for fiscal 2020 to reveal sales of just under 1.34 trillion yen ($12.52 billion), down 9.7 percent year-on-year. The company’s overall operating income totaled a little below 71.64 billion yen, down by 23.3 percent, with ordinary income down 36.4 percent to slightly under 65.52 billion yen and net income down 50.1 […]
Mitsui Chemicals, Nagoya University Begin Joint Development of Reusable 3D-Printed Mask May. 22, 2020. - Mitsui Chemicals Inc. (TYO:4183) has teamed up with Professor Katsutoshi Hori of the Graduate School of Engineering at Nagoya University and Friend Microbe Inc., a venture stemming from Nagoya University, to start development for a reusable 3D-printed mask. The greatest feature of this new mask promises to be virus-blocking capabilities while also offering reusability. This is achieved with a reusable […]Toyo Tires Develops Technologies to Predict Characteristics, Optimize Structures of Rubber Materials May. 8, 2020. - Toyo Tire Corp. (TYO:5105) has developed new technologies that are able to predict the characteristics and optimize the structures of rubber materials. The company is positioning these as part of Nano Balance Technology, a proprietary platform for rubber material development. To power these new technologies, Toyo Tires is employing materials informatics (MI), a field that utilizes the likes of AI […]
Showa Denko Sees Decline in Chloroprene Rubber Sales for First Quarter May. 29, 2020. - Showa Denko KK (TYO:4004) recently released its business results for the first quarter of calendar 2020, revealing a decline in both sales and profit metrics. The company posted sales of 171.73 billion yen ($1.6 billion), down 26.8 percent from the same period last year; operating income of just under 2.47 billion yen, down by 94.6 percent; and ordinary income of […]
Shin-Etsu Polymer Posts Sales Drop for FY2019 Despite Silicone Rubber Molding Products Finding Solid Foothold May. 19, 2020. - Shin-Etsu Polymer Co. Ltd. (TYO:7970) has revealed decreased sales and a mixed bag of profit metrics in its business results for fiscal 2019. The chemical manufacturer posted sales revenue of 80.25 billion yen ($746.98 million), down by 6.1 percent year-on-year; operating profit of 7.76 billion yen, down by 4.9 percent; ordinary profit of slightly less than 8.1 billion yen, up […]
