The palpable economic slowdown that has continued in China since last year is impacting the rubber industry with increasing severity, both directly and indirectly. With China’s economic situation seen as being more severe than is generally portrayed in news reports, grim views on its future are overwhelmingly prevalent. In the rubber industry, for instance, there has been a slump in...
Industry

Nippon Goodyear Names Kanahara President
Yujiro Kanahara has been named president of Nippon Goodyear Ltd. Kanahara succeeds Dale Brackin, who successfully served as interim president during the transition period since October 2015 when Nippon Goodyear and Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (TYO:5110) ended their alliance. Kanahara joined Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108) in 1978, where over the years he held positions in product planning, sales and marketing and...

Bridgestone Develops Technology to Spot Disease in Rubber Trees
Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108) has developed a simple technique for diagnosing white root rot disease. Caused by the plant pathogen Rigidoporus microporus, the disease affects para rubber trees, a source of natural rubber. Bridgestone aims to contribute to para rubber tree conservation efforts and a stable supply of natural rubber. The new technique applies a biotech method called loop-mediated isothermal amplification,...

Bridgestone CEO Appointed Honorary Investment Advisor to Thailand BOI
Bridgestone Corp. CEO and chairman of the board Masaaki Tsuya has been appointed as Honorary Investment Advisor to the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI). The position was established to assist the BOI in promoting Thailand as an attractive investment destination to Southeast Asia and the world. The appointment is in recognition of the Bridgestone group’s contributions to Thailand’s development from...

Lanxess Aspires to Be True Global Partner – Japan President Tsuji
Hideo Tsuji, president and CEO of Lanxess K.K. (and head of Rhein Chemie Additives Business Unit in Japan and Korea), said at a recent event that he has two key strategies for leading the company’s business in Japan. The first involves products. Tsuji is intent on stepping up Lanxess’s role as a worldwide partner for its customers amidst rapidly advancing...

Asahi Rubber to Boost LED Production
Asahi Rubber Inc., a manufacturer of automotive and medical rubber products, is planning capital investments worth approximately 543 million yen ($4.42 million) during the fiscal year ending in March 2016. The investments will inject 250 million yen ($2.03 million) into automotive, 95 million yen ($773,000) into medicine, 132 million yen ($1.07 million) into life sciences and 110 million yen ($895,000)...