ZS Elastomers Co. Ltd. (ZSE), a solution styrene-butadiene rubber (S-SBR) joint venture between Zeon Corp. (TYO:4205) and Sumitomo Chemical Co. Ltd. (TYO:4005), will soon begin operations. Japan Rubber Weekly sat down with ZSE President Kei Itoh, temporarily assigned from Zeon, to talk about the company’s aims. Looking at the developments to come out of Zeon, Itoh said that it was...
Nishiyama Corp. last May celebrated its 100th anniversary, and with the appointment of Managing Director Masaaki Nishiyama as the new president from this April, the company has launched a new organization system. In a recent interview with Japan Rubber Weekly, Nishiyama said his aim is for the company to become one that is loved by customers and brings happiness to...
Rubber manufacturer Bando Chemical Industries Ltd. (TYO:5195) experienced turbulent sales in fiscal 2016. After early months showed a year-on-year downturn, the company recovered in the latter half of the year, most notably in the January–March period. But in an industry moving toward electric vehicles, how does Bando Chemical plan to respond to concerns around declining automotive belt sales? Japan Rubber...
Inoac Corp. CEO Soichi Inoue recently sat down for an exclusive interview with Japan Rubber Weekly. The 87-year-old Inoue discussed the global expansion of the Nagoya-based company, a Japanese leader in rubber and resin-related products. With Inoac having overseas subsidiaries in some 80 locations across 13 countries, the company is expanding its business in the global market, Inoue said. The...
With Masataka Yamaishi set to step into the role of president and representative member of the board of Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. (TYO:5101) on March 30, both Yamaishi and current president Hikomitsu Noji discussed the change at a press conference. It is a turning point of a year, said Noji, as 2017 marks the final year of the company’s 12-year...
Toyoda Gosei Co. Ltd. (TYO:7282) operates four plants in Mexico and is in the process of shifting production from plants in Canada and the U.S. to Mexico as part of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) framework, particularly in relation to weatherstrip products. The company is moving forward with investments in a Mexico subsidiary to increase the production capacity...
