Showa Denko to Streamline Domestic Production of Unsaturated Polyester Resin and Vinyl Ester Resin

TOKYO, Jan 20, 2020 - (JCN Newswire) - Showa Denko K.K. (SDK; TSE:4004) has decided to terminate production lines to synthesize unsaturated polyester resin (UP) and vinyl ester resin (VE) at its Isesaki Plant by the end of June 2021, and concentrate domestic production of UP and VE at its Tatsuno Plant, in order to improve profitability of its UP and VE businesses.

SDK's functional polymer business has production lines at two bases in Japan, two bases in China and one base in Thailand. UP is marketed mainly as a molding material for automotive parts, housing and construction materials. VE is marketed mainly as a corrosion resistant material and electronic material. The demand for UP and VE is increasing in overseas markets, especially in China and ASEAN countries, due to increases in housing and infrastructure construction, and growth in the automotive industry. However, in the domestic market, demand for UP and VE is decreasing due to a decrease in new housing construction, the main use for UP and VE in Japan.

Therefore, SDK will concentrate operations to produce UP and VE at the Tatsuno Plant, aiming to streamline production of UP and VE in Japan. In addition, SDK decided to concentrate its marketing effort for UP and VE on market segments which are expected to be highly profitable and grow, aiming to strengthen earning power of the UP and VE businesses. In Japan, SDK will focus its marketing effort on infrastructural use. Outside Japan, SDK will focus its sales effort on promising markets including China and ASEAN. Furthermore, the Isesaki Plant will commit itself to development and production of highly functional resins for electronics, whose market continues growing.

The Showa Denko Group's Vision is to make itself a "KOSEIHA Company" (a group of KOSEIHA Businesses that can maintain profitability and stability at high levels over a long period), and the Group aims to make more than half of its businesses KOSEIHA Businesses by 2025. With regard to its functional polymer business, SDK aims to make it a KOSEIHA Business by selecting appropriate market segments and improving its profitability.

About Showa Denko K.K.

Showa Denko K.K. (SDK; TSE:4004, ADR:SHWDY), a major manufacturer of chemical products, serves a wide range of fields from heavy industry to electronics and computer industries. The Petrochemicals Sector provides cracker products such as ethylene and propylene, the Chemicals Sector provides industrial, high-performance and high-purity gases and chemicals for semicon and other industries, and the Inorganics Sector provides ceramic products, such as alumina, abrasives, refractory and graphite electrodes and fine carbon products. The Aluminum Sector provides aluminum materials and high-value-added fabricated aluminum, the Electronics Sector provides HD media, compound semiconductors such as ultra high-bright LEDs and rare earth magnetic alloys, and the Advanced Battery Materials Department (ABM) provides lithium-ion battery components. For more information, please visit www.sdk.co.jp/english/.

Contact:Showa Denko K.K., Public Relations Office, Tel: 81-3-5470-3235

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