According to statistics compiled by the Japan Belting Industry Association, Japanese conveyor belt production in 2023 was 9,073 tons, down 5% from the previous year, marking the second consecutive year of decline and the second year in a row that production has fallen below 10,000 tons. Japanese domestic demand was boosted by an increase in automobile production due to the...
Products
Rubber & Plastic Hoses: Nitta Sees Stronger Sales on EV Applications
Nitta’s Nitta Moore division posted lower sales and profits in the third quarter (April-December) of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, compared to the same period last year. Sales in the auto business were strong due to an upturn in automobile production at the customers who demanded them, but sales in the general industrial business were sluggish due to...
Valqua Launches Digital Procurement Service for Fluoroplastic Processing
Valqua, a manufacturer of high-performance rubber products, released in March a digital procurement service called “Quick Value”, which enables users to obtain quotes immediately by simply uploading drawings of fluoropolymer processed products. Quick Value statistically analyzes the machining information of parts drawings uploaded to the cloud and combines it with the plant and machining data (equipment, machining type, number of...
Yokohama Rubber Aims for 10% Profit Margin in MB Business
Yokohama Rubber aims to achieve a 10% business profit margin in its Multiple Business (MB) business by 2026, the final year of the new medium-term management plan “YX2026” announced in February. The company has positioned the hose and piping business as a growth driver and wants to achieve stable profitability in the industrial materials business. The performance of the MB...
Yokohama Rubber Announces New Medium-Term Management Plan YX2026
Yokohama Rubber announced a new medium-term management plan, “Yokohama Transformation 2026 (YX2026),” covering the period from 2024 to 2026. Under YX2026, the company aims to achieve hockey stick growth by 2027 through further promoting the deepening of strengths and exploration of new values in existing businesses that have been promoted since the previous mid-term plan, YX2023. The management targets for...
Bridgestone’s Diversified Products Businesses Show Steady Improvement
Bridgestone’s Diversified Products business is steadily improving its performance. In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, this business posted sales revenue of 298.4 billion yen ($1.98 billion), up 7% from the previous year, adjusted operating profit of 13.2 billion yen, up 39%, and adjusted operating profit margin of 4.4%, up 1.0 percentage point. The Chemical Products business posted sales...