History

From Just One Drop of Oil ...to a Global Leader in Chemicals

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.

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 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.

As new business ventures, the company embarked into the life sciences field in 1999 and DDS fields in 2001.In addition, in the 2000s, 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