Showa Denko Posts Major Increase to Sales and Income, Strong Propylene Results Feb. 20, 2019.- Showa Denko KK (TYO:4004) recently revealed that it achieved an increase to both sales revenue and income for calendar 2018. The company posted sales of 992.14 billion yen ($8.97 billion) for the year, up by 27.1 percent over figures from 2017. Meanwhile, operating income was up 131.6 percent year-on-year to reach just over 180 billion yen, with ordinary income up […]
Kuraray Posts Drop in Profits for 2018 Despite Significant Increase to Sales Feb. 19, 2019.- Kuraray Co. Ltd. (TYO:3405) recently posted its full-year results for 2018, showing a significant increase to sales but a decrease in all profit metrics. While the company’s sales rose by 16.3 percent year-on-year to reach almost 603 billion yen ($5.45 billion), its operating profit fell 13.8 percent to 65.79 billion yen, with ordinary profit down 17.6 percent to 61.17 billion […]
Osaka Soda Posts Increased Sales, Profits Following Strong Performance With Rubber Products Feb. 12, 2019.- Osaka Soda Co. Ltd. (TYO:4046) has posted a significant increase to its sales and profits for the cumulative first three quarters of fiscal 2018. Year-on-year, Osaka Soda’s sales rose by 9.9 percent to reach 81.85 billion yen ($741.23 million) over the nine-month period. In profits, meanwhile, the company’s operating profit rose 36 percent to 7.65 billion yen, with ordinary profit […]
JSR Posts Increase to Revenues, Profits on Back of Robust Sales for S-SBR Feb. 8, 2019.- Synthetic rubber manufacturer JSR Corp. (TYO:4185) has posted sales of 376.55 billion yen ($3.43 billion) for the first nine months of fiscal 2018, representing growth of 20.1 percent over the same period last year. Meanwhile, the company’s operating profit was up 2.1 percent year-on-year to 37.95 billion yen, with its net profit for the period increasing 0.2 percent to 27.72 […]
Yokohama Rubber Plans Launch of New SUV Tire Able to Cope With Sudden Snowfall Feb. 5, 2019.- Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. (TYO:5101) is planning an April 1 launch for the Geolandar X-CV, a new product under its Geolandar line of highway-terrain SUV tires. The tire will be made available in 17 sizes. The Geolandar X-CV will be marketed as a next-gen highway-terrain tire for high-performance crossover SUVs. Placing an emphasis on high-speed performance and driveability, such SUVs […]
Toyo Tires Produces 50 Millionth Tire at US Subsidiary Feb. 1, 2019.- Toyo Tire Corp. (TYO:5105) recently announced that U.S. tire manufacturing subsidiary Toyo Tire North America Manufacturing Inc. (TNA) has produced its 50 millionth tire since beginning operations. The 50 millionth tire to be manufactured at TNA was a Ridge Grappler, a light truck tire sold under the Nitto brand. The series has earned itself a strong reputation for its combination […]
Nitta Develops New Robotic Hand Able to Grip Wider Range of Foods Feb. 14, 2019.- Nitta Corp. (TYO:5186) is set to begin accepting orders this March for its new SOFTmatics robotic hand. In developing the SOFTmatics, the major industrial rubber products manufacturer looked to bring about a new robotic hand that is able to directly grip foods of unusual shape and other such characteristics – a task that has proven difficult for conventional robotic hands. […]Sumitomo Riko Posts Record Sales, Falling Profits for Q1–Q3 Feb. 6, 2019.- Sumitomo Riko Co. Ltd. (TYO:5191) recently posted record-high sales in cumulative results for the first three quarters of fiscal 2018. This comes despite profits falling under all metrics. Sales for the nine-month period came to 350.43 billion yen ($3.19 billion), up 2.8 percent year-on-year. Meanwhile, business profit – calculated by subtracting cost of sales, sales expenses and general administrative expenses […]
Toyoda Gosei Holds Opening Ceremony at New Indian Plant for Automotive Safety Products Feb. 13, 2019.- Toyoda Gosei Co. Ltd. (TYO:7282) recently announced that Toyoda Gosei Minda India Pvt. Ltd. (TGMIN), a subsidiary based in India, held an opening ceremony on Feb. 4 for its new Gujarat Plant. The Gujarat Plant began operations last October, manufacturing products for automotive safety systems – such as airbags and steering wheels – as well as weatherstrips and more. These […]Continental Opens German Research Lab for Dandelion Rubber Jan. 28, 2019.- Continental AG recently announced that it has opened Taraxagum Lab Anklam, a laboratory for research into dandelion rubber. The new facility is located in Anklam, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. The research lab will conduct R&D efforts into cultivation and extraction processes for the Russian dandelion, looking to use this as a source of natural rubber. Plans are to then utilize this as […]
Interview: Toyoda Gosei President Highlights Plans for Lighter, Quieter EVs Feb. 15, 2018.- Sitting down for a recent interview with Japan Rubber Weekly, Toyoda Gosei Co. Ltd. (TYO:7282) President Naoki Miyazaki said that the automotive industry is entering a massive, once-in-a-century turning point. Such a shake-up to business is an opportunity for growth, he said. Miyazaki spoke on the impact of electrification and Toyoda Gosei’s strategy to deal with it, saying that although […]Tigers Polymer President Kentaro Watanabe Eyes Increased Sales, Production for 2018 Feb. 9, 2018.- Tigers Polymer Corp. (TYO:4231) President Kentaro Watanabe recently sat down with Japan Rubber Weekly to talk about his company’s overseas operations for 2017 and where he expects to see things go here moving forward. Sales for the industrial rubber and resin products manufacturer are generally in good shape across the Americas, Southeast Asia and China, Watanabe said, particularly in China. […]
Bando Chemical Receives Energy Conservation Award for Flat Belt System Feb. 7, 2019.- Bando Chemical Industries Ltd. (TYO:5195) recently received a chairman’s award from the Energy Conservation Center, Japan (ECCJ), as part of the 2018 Energy Conservation Grand Prize awards. The company won this off the back of its Hyper Flat Drive (HFD) System, a flat belt drive system that was rated strongly for enabling a high level of energy conservation. This marks […]
Kraton Develops Unvulcanized TPE With High Levels of Softness, Strength Jan. 23, 2019.- Kraton Corp. recently developed a new type of thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) latex under the name Cariflex IR2GL1. Taking the form of a new styrene block copolymer TPE latex, the product is aimed toward use in the likes of surgical gloves. Cariflex IR2GL1 foregoes the conventional need for vulcanization while exhibiting strength, softness and flexibility. In addition, it is free from […]
Showa Denko Posts Major Increase to Sales and Income, Strong Propylene Results Feb. 20, 2019.- Showa Denko KK (TYO:4004) recently revealed that it achieved an increase to both sales revenue and income for calendar 2018. The company posted sales of 992.14 billion yen ($8.97 billion) for the year, up by 27.1 percent over figures from 2017. Meanwhile, operating income was up 131.6 percent year-on-year to reach just over 180 billion yen, with ordinary income up […]
Kuraray Posts Drop in Profits for 2018 Despite Significant Increase to Sales Feb. 19, 2019.- Kuraray Co. Ltd. (TYO:3405) recently posted its full-year results for 2018, showing a significant increase to sales but a decrease in all profit metrics. While the company’s sales rose by 16.3 percent year-on-year to reach almost 603 billion yen ($5.45 billion), its operating profit fell 13.8 percent to 65.79 billion yen, with ordinary profit down 17.6 percent to 61.17 billion […]
