Kuraray Plans Major Investment to Build New TPE Factory in Thailand

Kuraray Co. Ltd. (TYO:3405) is set to build a new factory in Thailand for the production of thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) and highly functional resins. Located in the Hemaraj Eastern Industrial Estate, part of Thailand’s Map Ta Phut complex, the new factory is slated for completion at the end of 2021. Kuraray will use the location to provide 13,000 tons of...

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Bridgestone Turns UK Tire Company ETB Into Wholly Owned Subsidiary in New Acquisition

Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108) recently announced that it has acquired a 100 percent share in the ETB Group, which sells car tires and provides other automotive services across the southwest of the U.K. The share acquisition for this was completed by Bridgestone’s European arm on Sept. 6. The companies have not yet disclosed the amount paid. Looking toward a stronger European...

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Shin-Etsu Chemical Plans 110B Yen of Capital Investment for Silicones Business

Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. Ltd. (TYO:4063), a major player in the market for polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and silicone products, recently announced that it is looking to invest nearly 110 billion yen ($982.1 million) into facilities for its silicones business. These investments will be implemented in stages over approximately the next two and a half years, with the company improving its capacity...

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Pirelli Japan Launches New Line of Studless Winter Tires Using Soft Tread Compound

Pirelli Japan Co. Ltd. has this month begun a sequential launch for its new line of studless winter tires, Ice Asimmetrico Plus. The Ice Asimmetrico Plus series has seen Pirelli Japan adopt a soft, durable new compound based on material used in the company’s existing Ice Asimmetrico line. By then improving the mixture and distribution of materials such as silica,...

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Cooper Standard Targets Growth in Japanese Market via New Facilities

Looking to bolster its business in the Japanese market, Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc. has opened a new local headquarters and engineering center in Yokohama for the company’s Japanese arm. As a U.S.-based manufacturer of auto parts, Cooper Standard holds a leading share in the global market for sealing systems. Dealings with Japanese manufacturers currently make up less than 5 percent of...

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Bridgestone Targets Commercial Tire Applications for Plant-Derived Isoprene Rubber

Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108) recently announced that it has entered into a joint research project for plant-derived isoprene rubber and its high-performance derivatives, working here on production technologies and practical applications for these materials. Efforts under the project look to establish plant-derived isoprene rubber as a practical, industrialized alternative to the natural rubber and oil-derived synthetic rubber currently used as raw...

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