History
- TOP
- Corporate Information
- History
History
From Just One Drop of Oil ...to a Global Leader in Chemicals
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 acquired the chemical of Nippon Mining Co., Ltd. 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.
GlobalizationIn 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 1991, the company moved into Europe and recently, established NOF EUROPE GmbH in Germany. 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 DevelopmentsAs new business ventures, the company embarked into the life sciences field in 1999 and DDS fields in 2001.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 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.
NOF Corporation Timeline
1910s | |
---|---|
09/1910 | Japan Lever Brothers (now the Amagasaki Plant) established |
08/1917 | Suzuki Shoten oil refinery (the former Oji Plant) established |
11/1919 | Teikoku Explosives Industries Co., Ltd. (now the Aichi Works, Taketoyo Plant) established |
1930s | |
---|---|
06/1936 | Nippo Kogyo Co., Ltd. (Former Nippon Shikki Co., Ltd.) established |
06/1937 | Nippon Oil & Fats Co., Ltd. established (Head office: Nissan-kan) |
01/1938 | Hokkaido Oil and Fats Industries and 14 other companies merge |
1940s | |
---|---|
02/1943 | Showa Kinzoku Industries, Ltd. established |
04/1945 | Acquired the chemical department of Nippon Mining Co., Ltd., name changed to Nissan Chemical Industries, Ltd. |
06/1947 | NICHIYU TRADING CO., LTD. (Former Nissei Shoji Co., Ltd.) established |
07/1949 | Company reestablished as Nippon Oil & Fats Co., Ltd. following the enactment of the Economic Deconcentration Law (Head office: Shirokiya, Nihonbashi, Tokyo) |
1950s | |
---|---|
10/1951 | Head office moved to Marunouchi Tokyo Building |
10/1954 | Production of rocket propellant started |
02/1957 | Production of organic peroxides started |
1960s | |
---|---|
07/1961 | Nichiyu Kogyo Co., Ltd established |
11/1961 | Chidori Plant begins operations |
02/1966 | YUKA SANGYO CO., LTD. established |
05/1967 | Head office moved to Yurakucho Building, Tokyo |
1970s | |
---|---|
06/1970 | Merged with Teikoku Pyrotechnics Co., Ltd. |
06/1973 | Nippon Dacro Shamrock Co., Ltd. (now NOF METAL COATINGS ASIA PACIFIC CO., LTD.) establish |
1980s | |
---|---|
12/1980 | Nichiyu Giken Kogyo Co., Ltd. (now NiGK Corporation) established |
02/1983 | Tsukuba Research Laboratory completed |
09/1984 | Metal Coatings International Inc. (now NOF METAL COATINGS NORTH AMERICA INC.) established in U.S.A.; DACRAL S.A. (now NOF METAL COATINGS EUROPE S.A.) of France made a subsidiary by the company at the same time. |
12/1988 | NOF AMERICA CORPORATION established in U.S.A. |
1990s | |
---|---|
01/1991 | German subsidiary Nippon Oil & Fats GmbH established |
10/1992 | Kamioka Test Center established |
03/1994 | HOKKAIDO NOF CORPORATION established |
07/1994 | NOF EUROPE N.V. established in Belgium, and Nippon Oil & Fats GmbH dissolved |
11/1994 | Head office moved to Yebisu Garden Place Tower, Tokyo |
11/1995 | PT. NOF MAS CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES set up in Indonesia |
02/1996 | JAPEX Corp. established |
12/1997 | Tanegashima Works completed |
10/1999 | Nippon Koki Co., Ltd. made a subsidiary after acquisition of shares |
12/1999 | Life Science Products Division set up |
2000s | |
---|---|
10/2001 | DDS Development Department set up |
04/2004 | All Taseto Co., Ltd. shares sold to Shinko Taseto Co., Ltd. |
06/2004 | Daishi Plant completed |
10/2004 | Changshu NOF Chemical Co., Ltd. established in China |
10/2004 | NICHIYU LOGISTICS CO., LTD. established |
03/2005 | All shares in BASF NOF Coatings Co., Ltd. sold to BASF Coatings AG |
07/2005 | DDS plant completed |
06/2006 | Anti-Corrosion Coatings Group set up |
10/2007 | Japanese trading name changed to Nichiyu Kabushikigaisha |
04/2009 | YUKA SANGYO CO., LTD. bought out Nichiyu Solution Inc. |
2010s | |
---|---|
09/2010 | Nichiyu Giken Kogyo Co., Ltd. (now NiGK Corporation) became a wholly owned subsidiary by exchange of shares. |
07/2012 | Reorganized the research function of Tsukuba Corporate Research Lab. into Advanced Research Technology Lab. |
11/2014 | NOF EUROPE (BELGIUM) N.V. is moved to Germany, NOF EUROPE GmbH established |
2020s | |
---|---|
04/2023 | The Oleo & Speciality Chemicals Division and the Functional Chemicals & Polymers Division are consolidated to form the Functional Materials Division. The Functional Foods Division (Shokuhin-Jigyo-Bu) changes the name to the Functional Foods Division (Kinou-Shokuhin-Jigyo-Bu) (The name in English remains the same.). The Life Science Products Division and the DDS Development Division are consolidated to form the Life Science Division. Abolished the Tsukuba Research Center and transferred to the Advanced Technology Research Lab. |
04/2024 | Nippon Koki Co., Ltd. acquired HOKKAIDO NOF CORPORATION |
06/2024 | Newly established Oita Works and founded LS Oita Plant and LS Aichi Plant |