Asahi Kasei

Asahi Kasei Corporation (旭化成株式会社, Asahi Kasei Kabushiki-gaisha) is a global Japanese chemical company. Its main products are chemicals and materials science.

It was founded in May 1931, using the paid in capital of Nobeoka Ammonia Fiber Co., Ltd, a Nobeoka, Miyazaki based producer of ammonia, nitric acid, and other chemicals. Now headquartered in Tokyo, with offices and plants across Japan, as well as China, Singapore, Thailand, U.S.A. and Germany.

The company is listed on the first section of Tokyo Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the TOPIX 100 and Nikkei 225stock market indices.

Asahi Kasei is a member of the Mizuho keiretsu.

History

The company Asahi Kasei began in the year 1931 with the production of chemicals that included ammonia and nitric acids. In 1949, exchanges between stocks started up between Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya. Asahi Kasei entered into a joint petrochemical venture with Dow Chemical. A production of Polystyrene and Saran Wrap began in 1952. Diversification into acrylonitrile, construction materials, petrochemicals, glass fabrics, ethylene, housing, medical devices, electronics, engineered resins, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals and liquors began in the 1960s and 1990s. Net sales exceeded $10 billion globally in the years 2000-2003. Finally in the years 2008-2009, there was further diversification into medical devices.