The NOF Group was founded in 1937, but the company’s core business has a long history with roots reaching back to the Meiji Era.

Nippon Oil & Fats Co.,Ltd. was established in June 1937 when its forerunner, Associated Oil and Fats, merged with three companies in the Nippon Sangyo Group – Nippon Food Industries, Kokusan Industry Fuji Paint Works, and Velvet Soap. After its founding, the company continued to diversify through mergers with leading companies in other sectors, including Teikoku Explosives Industries, to ultimately grow into a widely diversified chemical industry manufacturer.

In 1945 the company merged with Nippon Mining Company and changed its name to Nissan Chemical Industries, Ltd. In 1949, in accordance with the Corporation Reconstruction and Reorganization Law, the company inherited the oil and fats, explosives, coating, and welding divisions of Nissan Chemical Industries, and once again took the name Nippon Oil and Fats. During this time, the company entered the petrochemical field, establishing the Chidori Plant in 1961 and the Oita Plant in 1969.

In 1983, NOF became one of the first companies to set up a research facility in Tsukuba City. The facility’s expertise has been used to good advantage in the pharmaceutical field.

Globalization
In 1984, NOF moved into the US market for the first time with an investment in METAL COATINGS INTERNATIONAL INC. (now NOF METAL COATINGS NORTH AMERICA INC.), followed by the establishment of NOF AMERICA CORPORATION in 1988. In 1994, the company moved into Europe with the establishment of NOF EUROPE N.V. in Belgium. In Southeast Asia, the company established a joint venture in Indonesia for organic peroxides in 1995. In addition, to take advantage of China’s extraordinary development, the company established a company in 2004 to manufacture and market fatty acid derivatives and organic peroxides.

Business Developments
As new business ventures, the company embarked into the life sciences field in 1999 and the electronic materials and DDS fields in 2001. Today the company consists of a single group formed around a oleo & speciality chemicals, functional chemicals & polymers, explosives & propulsion systems, functional foods, and anti-corrosive core business. In addition, in 2000, to meet the need to focus and consolidate business territory and management resources, the company transferred its welding business to TASETO Co., Ltd. and its coatings business to BASF NOF Coatings Co., Ltd. (now BASF Coatings Japan Ltd.). In 2004, the company set up its new Daishi Plant in Kawasaki and transferred the manufacturing of oil and fats for food processing from its Oji Plant to the new facility. In 2005, the company completed its DDS plant.

In 2007, to mark the 70th anniversary of its founding and properly reflect our company’s business activities, we changed its Japanese trading name to Nichiyu Kabushikigaisha, but its English name will be NOF CORPORATION and intend to expand into a broader range of businesses in the future as the NOF Group.

Going forward, NOF will continue to strive to be a chemical manufacturer whose business activities make positive contributions to society.