Sumitomo Riko Co. Ltd. (TYO:5191) President & CEO Kakushi Shimizu held a press conference on July 9 to discuss company strategy after taking over the reins on June 18. Speaking at the press conference, Shimizu said that while COVID-19 caused automotive production to drop significantly over April–May, he hopes if anything to treat this as an opportunity for improvement. The...
Tokai Carbon Co. Ltd. (TYO:5301) announced on July 5 that heavy rainfall near its Tanoura Plant in Ashikita, Kumamoto Prefecture, led to a fire on July 4. The company also provided further details of the incident. The Tanoura Plant produces isotropic graphite materials used in semiconductors, solar cells and various industrial applications. On July 4, heavy rainfall in the Ashikita...
JSR Corp. (TYO:4185) has announced that it will be raising prices on synthetic rubber and emulsion products set to be delivered from July 1 onward. This is being applied to products manufactured at the company’s domestic Japanese plants, with prices raised by at least 20 yen ($0.19) per kilogram for both synthetic rubber and emulsion products. The extra revenue obtained...
Showa Denko KK (TYO:4004) recently released its business results for the first quarter of calendar 2020, revealing a decline in both sales and profit metrics. The company posted sales of 171.73 billion yen ($1.6 billion), down 26.8 percent from the same period last year; operating income of just under 2.47 billion yen, down by 94.6 percent; and ordinary income of...
Kuraray Co. Ltd. (TYO:3405) is holding an online trade show focused on the automobile industry over May 20 – June 30. Through on-demand video and other such means, the chemicals company is showing how the Kuraray Group’s materials can provide various next-gen solutions for the automotive industry with a focus on the environment, safety and comfort One of the products...
Denka Co. Ltd. (TYO:4061) recently began production of diethyl malonate for use in Avigan, a potential COVID-19 treatment known also by the generic name of favipiravir. This production began on May 16 at the chemical company and chloroprene rubber producer’s Omi Plant in Itoigawa, Niigata Prefecture. Denka sees itself as having a social responsibility to help out with measures against...
