Sumitomo Chemical Co. Ltd.’s (TYO:4005) business for ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) performed well in fiscal 2017, operating at full capacity and selling all products that were produced. But with supply and demand remaining at a tight balance, the company has been unable to keep up with increasing demand, and expects this trend in demand to continue for fiscal 2018....
Fujikura Rubber Ltd. (TYO:5121) has been getting strong performance out of its sales divisions for industrial products, control equipment and golf club carbon shafts. The company saw increased revenue for the fifth consecutive year in fiscal 2017 – as well as increased profit for three consecutive years. Automotive-related exports have grown in countries including China and Vietnam, with particular growth...
Sumitomo Riko Co. Ltd. (TYO:5191) announced on May 24 that it is switching to a new medium-term management plan, titled 2022 Sumitomo Riko Group Vision (2022V). With recent years seeing factors such as a major transformation in the automotive industry and the rise of protectionism in Western nations, the new plan comes as a fundamental shift to the approach outlined...
Sitting down for a recent interview with Japan Rubber Weekly, Toyoda Gosei Co. Ltd. (TYO:7282) President Naoki Miyazaki said that the automotive industry is entering a massive, once-in-a-century turning point. Such a shake-up to business is an opportunity for growth, he said. Miyazaki spoke on the impact of electrification and Toyoda Gosei’s strategy to deal with it, saying that although...
With the four large Japanese tire makers closing their fiscal years by end of December, the latter half of March has in succession seen Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108), Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (TYO:5110), Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. (TYO:5101) and Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. Ltd. (TYO:5105) holding their annual shareholders meetings. Talking at Bridgestone’s meeting on March 24, Kazuhisa Nishigai, the...
Sumitomo Riko Co. Ltd. (TYO:5191) will need to boost production in the U.S. if renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) following President Trump’s inauguration results in high tariffs, said Chairman and CEO Yoshiaki Nishimura. Speaking at a recent media gathering, Nishimura stated that the company will monitor developments involving NAFTA, tailoring investment and employment plans accordingly and...
