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History
We, AGC, founded in 1907, began our chemical business in 1917 with the production of soda ash, a raw material in flat glass.
After nearly 100 years in business, we have expanded our enterprise into chlor-alkali and urethane, gas and solvents, fluoroproducts, and life sciences*, to produce the world's finest products for a wide variety of fields.
* Establish “Life Science Company” as a new in-house company, effective January 1, 2023.
- Chlor-alkali / Urethane
- Fluorine / Specialty chemicals
- Life science
1907
9.8
Asahi Glass Company established in Amagasaki, Hyogo Pref.
1917
2.13
Started soda ash production using the ammonium method at Makiyama plant in Kitakyushu (the first ammonia soda business in Japan)
- Makiyama plant in Kitakyushu
1933
July.
Established a caustic soda plant using the ammonium method at Makiyama plant and started production.
- Caustic soda
1958
12.20
Started full-scale natural gas development construction in Chiba Prefecture (completed a transportation pipeline on July 30, 1959)
1959
3.20
Established Chiba plant in Goi-machi, Ichihara City, Chiba Prefecture
1964
4.28
Started manufacture of flon gas at Chiba plant and started sales under the product name Asahi Flon the following month
1965
10.27
Founded Thai Asahi Caustic Soda Co., Ltd., in Bangkok in a joint venture with local Thai capital
1966
2.25
Established Asahi-Penn Chemical Co., Ltd., jointly with Pittsburgh Plate Glass Co. of America (PPG), Mitsubishi Corporation, and Itochu Corporation and entered the vinyl chloride business, including vinyl chloride monomer and chlorinated solvents, etc.
1967
12.15
Started full-scale operation of vinyl chloride monomer, trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene manufacturing using an oxychlorination method based on technology owned by Asahi-Penn Chemical Co., Ltd., and PPG of America
1971
Succeeded in the development of AsahiGuard AG-710, a fluorinated water and oil repellent applying fluorine compounds
1972
3.28
Developed Aflon COP, the world's first easily moldable and processable ETFE fluorinated resin
1974
3.
7.16
9.8
Converted the caustic soda manufacturing equipment at Kitakyushu plant to diaphragm electrolysis (the first conversion in Japan)
Established Asahi-Olin Ltd. in a joint venture with Olin Corporation of America
Established Kashima plant in Kamisu Town, Ibaraki Prefecture
- Kashima plant
1975
6.6
8.1
Publicly announced the development of the ion exchange membrane Flemion electrolysis method for use in caustic soda manufacture
Converted caustic soda manufacturing equipment at Chiba plant from a mercury process to the diaphragm process
Fused film molding technology and ETFE technology to develop Fluon® ETFE Film, a fluoropolymer film
Started manufacture of AFLAS® fluorinated elastomer
Started manufacture of Polyether Polyol, EXCENOL™.
- Fluon ® ETFE FILM
1981
6.
Established Asahi-ICI Fluoropolymers Co., Ltd., a tetrafluoroethylene PTFE resin manufacturing company, in a joint venture with ICI of the UK
Started manufacture of Polymer Polyol.
1982
1.
6.
Started sales of LUMIFLON® fluoropolymer varnish
Completed technology for conversion from the diaphragm process to ion exchange membrane process electrolysis for caustic soda manufacture at Kitakyushu plant (started manufacture in October)
1983
4.
Started manufacture of PTFE resin fluoropolymer at Asahi-ICI Fluoropolymers Co., Ltd.
- Fluoropolymers, Fluon®
1984
2.
Started manufacture of AFLAS® fluorinated elastomer at Chiba plant
Started production of solvent soluble LUMIFLON® fluoropolymer varnish
- LUMIFLON®
1986
7.9
7.
9.
Completed the Kashima propylene oxide plant
Converted the diaphragm process for caustic soda manufacture at Chiba plant to the ion-exchange membrane process
Established PT Asahimas Subentra Chemical in a joint venture with PT Rodamas and PT Subentra in Indonesia
- PT Asahimas Subentra Chemical
1991
7.
Started production of AsahiKlin AK-225 alternative Fluorinated solvents at Chiba plant
Started manufacture of high molecular weight and low side product polyether polyol, PREMINOL™
1993
6.22
Established Keiyo Monomer Co., Ltd., a manufacturer of vinyl chloride monomers, with Maruzen Petrochemical Co., Ltd.
Started manufacture of silane modified polyether, EXCESTAR™
1997
The venture with Olin Corporation has been dissolved and Asahi Glass Co. Ltd. obtained 100 % of the company's share., Asahi Olin, Ltd.
Developed ASPEX-a high-efficiency, high-speed protein production technology
1998
4.1
Changed the company name from Asahi-Olin, Ltd. to Asahi Glass Urethane Co., Ltd.
Established a pharmaceutical intermediate / active pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturing company (Wakasa AGC Fine Chemicals Co., Ltd.) and started production
1999
12.
Completed the purchase of the fluoropolymer business of ICI of the UK and started business as AGC Fluoropolymers in the USA and the UK
- AGC Chemicals America, Inc.
2001
Established a urethane product development center in Kashima plant.
2002
10.
Discontinued manufacture of chemical products at Kitakyushu plant
2003
11.28
Established AGC Chemicals Trading (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. as a sales base for chemical products centered on fluorine products in Shanghai, China
Completed GMP-compliant CMP building at the Chiba Plant to manufacture investigational products for multiple applications
2005
10.6
Publicly announced the new installation of Fluon®ETFE production equipment at AGC Fluoropolymers UK
- AGC Chemicals Europe, Ltd.
2006
1.
Started sales of AsahiGuard E Series, a new type of environmentally-compliant AsahiGuard fluorinated water and oil repellents
Established a fluorine product technical service center in Exton, Pennsylvania
- AsahiGuard E-Series ™
2008
Constructed a new biopharmaceutical plant to increase its production capacity by 10-fold within the Chiba Plant
Approval for the manufacturing and sales of Tafluprost, an active pharmaceutical ingredient for glaucoma developed jointly with Santen Pharmaceutic
- Tafluprost, an active pharmaceutical ingredient for glaucoma
2009
Consolidated Asahi Glass Urethane Co., Ltd. and Asahi Glass Co., Ltd. to Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.
2011
Established a sales base for fluorine products in Sao Paulo, Brazil
2012
Established a sales base for fluorine products in Guangzhou, China
2013
8.
11.
Announced the 6th production capacity expansion plan (caustic soda, vinyl chloride) of PT Asahimas Chemical of Indonesia
Reached agreement with Petronas Chemicals Group, the parent company, with regard to the acquisition of a 78% holding in its subsidiary, Phu My Plastics & Chemicals Co., Ltd., a vinyl chloride business in Vietnam
Constructed Kaminaka Plant in Wakasa Techno Valley, Fukui Prefecture
- Vinyl chloride business in Vietnam
2014
1.
3.6
3.19
Publicly announced the new installation at Chiba plant of highly efficient manufacturing capability for 1234yf, a next generation, environmentally-compliant refrigerant for automobiles
Established a fluorine product technical service center in Shanghai, China
Succeeded in the development of AMOLEA ™, a new refrigerant for air conditioning equipment that suppresses the impact of global warming to 1/6
Established a sales base for fluorine products in Moscow, Russia
- Technical service center in Shanghai
2015
4.8
7.
10.22
Publicly announced a plan to construct a power station at PT Asahimas Chemical in Indonesia (scheduled for operation in 2017)
Established a fluorine product technical service center in Amsterdam, Netherlands
Established a sales base for fluorine products in Chengdu, China
- Technical service center in Amsterdam
2016
9.6
Established a fluorine product application development center in Singapore
Acquired Biomeva, biopharmaceutical contract manufacturing organizations in Europe
2017
2.22
10.23
11.6
12.14
Acquired CMC Biologics, biopharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing organizations
Acquired Vinythai, Chlor-Alkali business in Southeast Asia
AMOLEA™ 1224yd, New Refrigerant with Lower Environmental Impact, Acquires International Certification
Launched the new brand “FORBLUE™”
Developed Technology to Enhance the Performance of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastic (CFRTP)
- AGC Biologics (former CMC Biologics)
2018
8.30
10.2
Made Drastic Expansion to Production Capacity for Fluon+ EA-2000 Fluorinated resin, a Material Used in 5G High-Speed High-Frequency Printed Circuit Boards
AGC Launches Global Sales of AMOLEA™ AS-300, a New Type of Environmentally-friendly Fluorinated Solvent
Established R&D Center in Seattle, U.S.A
2019
Acquired Malgrat Pharma Chemicals, Synthetic pharmaceutical active ingredient manufacturing plant in Spain
- Malgrat Pharma Chemicals
2020
6.1
6.2
11.30
Acquired Molmed, gene & cell therapy organizations in Italy.
AMOLEA™, Low-Environmental-Impact HFOs, was Awarded Minister of the Environment Award in the GSC Awards
Acquired Biopharmaceutical Commercial Facility in Colorado, U.S.A, formerly owned by AstreaZeneca.
Fluon® ETFE Film Adopted at SoFi Stadium in the U.S.
- AGC Biologics (Italy) (former Molecular Medicine)