Mitsui Chemicals Inc. (TYO:4183) has received a letter of gratitude from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), thanking the company for working over the past year to boost its raw material production for medical gowns, masks and so on. With COVID-19 starting to spread widely around the world last spring, there was a shortage of medical gowns. And...
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Speaking recently about the future of his company’s business for elastomer materials, Zeon Corp. (TYO:4205) President Kimiaki Tanaka said COVID-19 has made it clear that there is strong global demand for specialty elastomers. This can also be interpreted, he said, to mean that elastomers without specialized characteristics will have to be offered at a low price if they are to...
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Nichirin Co. Ltd. (TYO:5184) President Ryuichi Maeda has revealed that as part of its European restructuring efforts, the automotive hose manufacturer intends to start up hose assembly operations in the central Bulgarian town of Karlovo this March. This assembly will be contracted out to a local manufacturer. Then if automaker approval can be obtained, the company intends to move half...
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Sumitomo Riko Co. Ltd. (TYO:5191) President Kazushi Shimizu spoke recently about the expectation of growth in the electric-powered vehicle market, describing the trend as something that should benefit his company going forward. And already, he said, Sumitomo Riko is doing well at securing orders for new products in this field. Shimizu said that given the policies of national and local...
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Ikuji Ikeda, president of the Japan Rubber Manufacturers Association (JRMA) and Chairman of Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (TYO:5110), gave his thoughts recently on the state of Japan’s rubber industry and what opportunities lie ahead for domestic players. While companies have had to change as a result of the pandemic, Ikeda noted, this has then made it possible to turn difficult...
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Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108) Global CEO Shuichi Ishibashi recently announced the company’s new vision for sustainable business. And by spending 2021 on making this vision a reality, he explained, Bridgestone hopes to achieve SDGs and help bring about a more sustainable society. For Bridgestone, 2021 will be a year of getting up to full speed with efforts to carry out the...
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