Kuraray Posts Record Sales and Profits in First Half: Financial Results Sep. 6, 2024. - Kuraray posted for the first half of the current fiscal year net sales of 411.22 billion yen ($2.81 billion), up 7.9%; operating income of 45.46 billion yen, up 11.0%; ordinary income of 44.02 billion yen, up 14.2%; and net income of 30.45 billion yen, up 39.4%. The company achieved record-high sales and profits for the first half of the fiscal […]
Tokai Carbon Posts First Half Results, Profits Down Substantially Sep. 5, 2024. - Tokai Carbon reported for the first half of the current fiscal year a 4.2% year-on-year decline in net sales to 170.92 billion yen ($1.17 billion), a 61.2% drop in operating income to 8.43 billion yen, a 56.4% decline in ordinary income to 10.52 billion yen, and a 77.0% drop in net income to 3.66 billion yen. The carbon black business, […]
Zeon Files Lawsuit Against Arlanxeo for Battery Material Patent Infringement Sep. 2, 2024. - Zeon has filed a lawsuit in Germany against Arlanxeo, seeking an injunction and damages for infringement of Zeon’s German patent on lithium-ion battery materials and an injunction against the manufacture and sale of such products in Germany. The lawsuit seeks an injunction and damages for the manufacture and sale in Germany of Arlanxeo products, which the company believes are manufactured […]
Japan’s Rubber Unions Secure Average Pay Raises of 14,508 Yen, 1.62M Bonus in Labor Offensive Aug. 29, 2024. - Gomu Rengo, the Japanese Rubber Workers Union Confederation, has announced the results of its spring 2024 labor offensive. According to the report, 51 of the 52 member unions reached wage agreements and all 52 unions reached lump-sum pay agreements. The average wage increase among the 47 unions with definite wage amounts was 14,508 yen ($100), or 4.85% of the previous […]
Yokohama Rubber Ups Expectations for Medium Term Plan Aug. 28, 2024. - Yokohama Rubber has revised upward its financial targets for its new medium-term management plan Yokohama Transformation 2026 (YX2026) announced on February 16. The company took into account the current strong performance, the realization of technology and production reforms that it will pursue, and the performance of the OTR (off-the-road tire) business to be acquired from Goodyear. It upwardly revised its […]
Bridgestone Promotes Global Cost Reductions Throughout Value Chain Aug. 27, 2024. - Bridgestone is promoting cost reductions throughout the entire value chain by optimizing the balance between sales, production and inventory. The company is reducing fixed costs in line with sales volume, optimizing the production system, and thoroughly reducing inventory based on volume and value. In production, Bridgestone is shortening operating days and suspending operations of some processes to improve profitability of […]
Mitsubishi Chemical Eyes Making Recycled Carbon Black From Used Tires Sep. 4, 2024. - Mitsubishi Chemical has begun studying the chemical recycling of used tires in the coke ovens at its Kagawa Plant in Sakaide City, aiming to sell several thousand tons of carbon black per year in fiscal 2025 and several tens of thousands of tons per year in fiscal 2030, both of which are recyclable resources. As the tire industry accelerates its […]
Nitta Sales Stable, Profits Down: First Quarter Results Aug. 23, 2024. - Nitta posted sales of 21.63 billion yen ($148.14 million), down 0.4% year-on-year, operating profit of 1.16 billion yen, down 9.2%, ordinary profit of 3.60 billion yen, up 18.7%, and net profit of 3.02 billion yen, down 20.5% in the first quarter (April-June 2024) of the fiscal year ending March 2025. By segment, the belt and rubber products business posted sales […]
Kuraray Posts Record Sales and Profits in First Half: Financial Results Sep. 6, 2024. - Kuraray posted for the first half of the current fiscal year net sales of 411.22 billion yen ($2.81 billion), up 7.9%; operating income of 45.46 billion yen, up 11.0%; ordinary income of 44.02 billion yen, up 14.2%; and net income of 30.45 billion yen, up 39.4%. The company achieved record-high sales and profits for the first half of the fiscal […]
Tokai Carbon Posts First Half Results, Profits Down Substantially Sep. 5, 2024. - Tokai Carbon reported for the first half of the current fiscal year a 4.2% year-on-year decline in net sales to 170.92 billion yen ($1.17 billion), a 61.2% drop in operating income to 8.43 billion yen, a 56.4% decline in ordinary income to 10.52 billion yen, and a 77.0% drop in net income to 3.66 billion yen. The carbon black business, […]
Interview With Bando Chemical President Tomio Ueno Sep. 3, 2024. - Bando Chemical is pursuing its medium-term business plan under the three guiding principles of Value Creation, Smart Manufacturing Creation, and Evolution of Organizational Capabilities for the Future. With co-creation as its keyword, the company is working to create new value and steadily achieving results in the fields of electronic materials, medical equipment, and healthcare equipment. Japan Rubber Weekly sat down […]
Interview With Yokohama Rubber President and COO Shinji Seimiya Aug. 21, 2024. - Japan Rubber Weekly recently sat down with Shinji Seimiya, president and COO of Yokohama Rubber, to talk about the company’s latest developments. Semiya is in charge of tire design and development, as well as manufacturing, quality, and and overseeing technology and production on a global scale. Under the new mid-term management plan Yokohama Transformation 2026 (YX2026), which started this year, […]
Toyoda Iron Works Launches Sheet-shaped Cushioning Material Aug. 30, 2024. - Toyoda Iron Works has succeeded in developing Toyototsu, a sheet-shaped cushioning material that has already been widely used in automobile armrests, consoles, instrument panels, and other parts. The company has recently succeeded in extrusion molding, instead of the conventional injection molding process, using the proprietary technology of Osaka-based Katsuron, and has begun developing applications not only for automobiles but also […]
Environmental Products Make up 40% of Sales: Hayakawa Rubber Aug. 7, 2024. - Hayakawa Rubber, a manufacturer of industrial rubber products, is working a number of environmental contribution activities, including reduction of waste from the entire production process, energy-saving activities throughout the plant, reduction of paper consumption throughout the plant, reduction of noise from the entire production process, and design and development of environmentally friendly products. With regard to energy-saving activities, Hayakawa Rubber […]
Nitta Posts Financial Results, Sees Opportunity in Semiconductor-related Business May. 24, 2024. - Nitta announced net sales of 88.61 billion yen ($565.29 million), up 0.7% year-on-year; operating income of 4.42 billion yen, down 11.4%; ordinary income of 12,01 billion yen, down 6.9%; and net income of 9.68 billion yen, down 9.2%, for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024. “Sales were decent, but profits fell sharply due to a slower-than-expected decline in the […]
Special Report: Signs of Recovery in Demand for Rubber Sheets Apr. 26, 2024. - Signs of recovery have emerged in demand for fluorine rubber sheets, which had been in a slump. With the elimination of the oversupply of semiconductors, there has been movement in the production of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, which had been undergoing production adjustments, and this has led to an upturn in current demand. Demand for silicone rubber sheets is also increasing […]
