Groundbreaking Ceremony Held for Nippon Shokubai’s New Chinese SAP Subsidiary.
Nippon Shokubai Co., Ltd. (headquartered in Chuo-ku, Osaka under its president, Hiroshi Yanagida) today announced that a groundbreaking ceremony was held on November 8, 2003, for a new super absorbent polymer (SAP) subsidiary in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu, China. (See the accompanying handout for an outline of the new subsidiary.)
Nippon Shokubai considers its SAP business a core business and has adopted a strategy of developing this business globally and attaining more than 25% of the global SAP market. Currently, the company is capable of producing a total of 230,000 metric tons of SAP annually at facilities in Japan, the U.S.A., and Europe. In an effort to implement this strategy, the company has identified China as its fourth regional market in the expectation of realizing the country’s potential growth in SAP demand. Last year, Nippon Shokubai worked on selecting a location and undertaking feasibility studies for the subsidiary project. As a result, Nisshoku Chemical Industry (Zhangjiagang) Co., Ltd. was officially registered on April 24, 2003, as the company’s first subsidiary in China. The groundbreaking ceremony was held after permits were granted for the start of construction.
Construction is scheduled to begin without delay and should be completed by the end of 2004. The completion of the Chinese plant will extend the company’s SAP supply system to all four regional markets, ensuring the company’s development as a truly global SAP supplier.
The following persons attended the groundbreaking ceremony.
[Main Attendees]
- Hiroshi Yanagida, President and Representative Director, Nippon Shokubai Co., Ltd.
- Yutaka Morimoto, Managing Director, Nippon Shokubai Co., Ltd. & President, Nisshoku Chemical Industry (Zhangjiagang) Co., Ltd.
- Tsuneyuki Nakashima, Managing Director, Nippon Shokubai Co., Ltd. & President, Nisshoku Chemical Industry (Zhangjiagang) Co., Ltd.
- Kiyoshi Kawamura, Director and General Manager, Nisshoku Chemical Industry (Zhangjiagang) Co., Ltd.
- Zhao, Vice-Mayor of Suzhou
- Peng, Vice-secretary, Municipal Committee of Zhangjiagang
- Xu, Administrative Vice-Director, Management Committee of the Zhangjiagang Bonded Area
(A total of 250 persons attended the ceremony.)
Outline of Nisshoku Chemical Industry (Zhangjiagang) Co., Ltd.
- Registered Name:
NISSHOKU CHEMICAL INDUSTRY (ZHANGJIAGANG) CO., LTD. - Registered Address:
Yangtze River International Chemical Industry Park, a district affiliated with the Zhangjiagang Bonded Area, Jiangsu - Date Established:
April 24, 2003 - Representatives:
President Yutaka Morimoto (Managing Director, Nippon Shokubai Co., Ltd.) Directors Kiyoshi Kawamura Directors Shinichi Nagase (Manager, Corporate Planning, Nippon Shokubai Co., Ltd.) General Manager Kiyoshi Kawamura Vice General Managers Hiroshi Uchida Vice General Managers Shinichiro Yoshimoto Chief Engineer Kenichi Fujita - Total Investment:
US $43 million - Registered Capital:
US $26 million - Number of Employees:
About 60 (at start-up) - Site Area:
153,878.40 square meters - Business Objectives:
To manufacture and sell high-quality fine chemical products with advanced domestic and imported technology in order to earn profits and promote regional economic development. - Scope of Business:
The development, production, and sale of super absorbent polymer with an annual production capacity of 30,000 metric tons (in the first fiscal year). - Scheduled Completion:
December 2004
[For further information, please contact]
General Affairs Department, Public Relations Group, Nippon Shokubai Co., Ltd.
Tel: 06-6223-9105