History

The Company, formerly called Ube Soda Industry Co., Ltd., was established in 1936 in Ube City in Yamaguchi. With soda production as its base, the company expanded into the fertilizer business, and later in 1958, the company launched the glass business. The company changed its name to Central Glass Co., Ltd. in 1963.

Today, the Company has expanded into a wide range of fields including architectural glass, automotive glass, glass for electronic materials, chemicals, fertilizers, fine chemicals and glass fibers, and continually strive to respond to the diversifying needs of society.

From 1936 to 1940s

1936 Ube Soda Industry Co., Ltd. was established with a capital of 7.5 million yen in Ube City, Yamaguchi.
1938 Started production of caustic soda.
1940 Started production of soda ash.
1942 Started production of calcium chloride.
1949 Listed on both the Tokyo Stock Exchange and Osaka Securities Exchange.

From 1950s to 1960s

1953 Part of the soda ash production facility was converted to the ammonium chloride soda process, and the Company started production of fertilizer grade ammonium chloride simultaneously with soda.
1958 Established the subsidiary Central Glass Co., Ltd. (hereinafter, former Central Glass) and launched the glass business.
1959 The former Central Glass built a plant at Sakai City, Osaka, and started production of clear sheet glass.
1960 Developed a high analysis compound fertilizer based on ammonium chloride and started production.
1963 Ube Soda Industry Co., Ltd. merged with the former Central Glass and the company name was changed to Central Glass Co., Ltd.
The subsidiary Central Chemical Co., Ltd. was established as a joint venture with Tonen Corp.
Built the Matsusaka Plant in Matsusaka City, Mie and started production of safety glass.
1964 Started plate glass production by the Duplex Process at the Matsusaka Plant.
Started production of EDC and caustic soda at Central Chemical Co., Ltd.
1966 Established the subsidiary Art Glass Industry Co., Ltd. for the purpose of manufacturing mirrors. (Currently, Mie Glass Industry Co., Ltd.)
1969 Started production of float glass by the Float Process at the Matsusaka Plant.

1970s

1970 Started production of cryolite at the Ube Plant.
Started production of vinyl chloride monomer at Central Chemical Co., Ltd.
1971 Established the subsidiary Central Glass Fiber Co., Ltd. with the purpose of manufacturing glass fiber.
1973 Established the Glass Research Center and the Chemical Research Center.
Established Thai Central Chemical Company Limited as a joint venture for manufacturing fertilizers in Thailand. (Currently, Thai Central Chemical Public Co., Ltd.)
1974 Completed production facility for hydrofluoric acid at the Ube Plant.
Started production of polyaluminium chloride (PAC) at the Ube Plant.
1976 Completed production facility for ammonium phosphate at the Ube Plant
Completed the No. 2 float process production facility at the Matsusaka Plant and started production.
1978 Established the Ube Research Center (Currently, Chemical Research Center (Ube)).
1979 Acquired equity in Northwestern Industries Inc., an architectural glass manufacturing company in the U.S.

1980s

1982 Established the subsidiary Central Glass Wool Co., Ltd. with the purpose of manufacturing glass wool.
Completed the No. 3 float process production facility at the Sakai Plant and started production.
1984 Completed multi-purpose production facility for organic fluorine compounds at the Ube Plant.
1985 Completed multi-purpose production facility for high purity inorganic salt Chemical Research Center (Ube).
1986 Completed high purity hydrofluoric acid facility at the Ube Plant.
1987 Completed facility for manufacturing fluoroplastic at the Ube Plant.
Acquired equity in Yue Sheng Industrial Co., Ltd., an automobile parts manufacturing company in Taiwan
1988 Completed multi-purpose production facility for high purity fluorine gases at the Ube Plant.
Acquired equity in Yue Sheng Industrial Co., Ltd., an automobile parts manufacturing company in Taiwan
1989 Established Carlex Glass Company, an automotive glass manufacturing company in the U.S. as partnership with the Ford Motor Company Group

1990s

1990 Domestic sales of the inhalation anesthesia Sevoflurane using active ingredients for pharmaceuticals made by the Company started.
1991 Established Central Glass International, Inc. in the U.S. as a research base for the purpose of gathering information
1992 Completed the No. 4 float process production facility at the Ube Plant.
Completed production facility for perfluorochemicals at the Ube Plant.
1994 Completed production facility exclusively for pharmaceutical drug substance Sevoflurane at the Ube Plant.
1995 Established Taiwan Central Glass Co., Ltd. in Taiwan for the purpose of manufacturing thin flat glass
Acquired all equity in Carlex Glass Company from the Ford Motor Company Group and began solo management of Carlex Glass Company
1996 Established Japan Vietnam Fertilizer Company as a joint venture with the purpose of manufacturing fertilizer in Vietnam.
1999 Completed production facility for the new controlled release fertilizer CERACOAT-R at Central Kasei Chemical Co., Ltd.
Established the subsidiary Central Glass Module Co., Ltd. for the purpose of manufacturing, processing and selling automotive module glass.

Since 2000

2000 Started sales of an antiulcerogenic drug using active ingredients for pharmaceuticals made by the Company.
Obtained ISO14001 certification for the Ube, Matsusaka and Sakai Plants.
2002 Acquired SynQuest Laboratories, Inc., a contract lab venture for fluorinated chemicals in the United States.
Built a partnership with French Saint-Gobain Group in the automotive glass business and established Central Saint-Gobain Co., Ltd., as a joint marketing and sales company for automotive glass.
Central Chemical Co., Ltd. became a wholly owned subsidiary of Central Glass.
2003 Withdrawal of Central Chemical from the PVC business.
Merged Central Chemical and restructured it as the Kawasaki Plant.
Opened a representative office in Shanghai, China.
Established Central Glass Europe Limited in the UK and, through it, acquired equity in Apollo Scientific Limited, a British fine chemical company.
2004 Established the joint marketing and sales company Central Godo Fertilizer Co., Ltd. with Japan Union Fertilizer Co., Ltd.
Acquired SunGreen Co., Ltd. from Japan Union Fertilizer Co., Ltd.
2005 Acquired equity in Giga Gas & Electronic Materials Company in Taiwan
Completed production facility for hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP) at the Kawasaki Plant.
2006 Closed down the brine electrolysis facilities at the Kawasaki Plant and withdrew from manufacturing and sales of caustic soda and chlorine derivatives.
2008 Established Central Glass Germany GmbH in Germany and through it, acquired the Kuensebeck Site of Girindus A.G.
2009 Established Central Glass Chemspec Company Ltd. in China as a joint venture for the purpose of manufacturing fine chemical products
2011 Began business of Carlex Glass America, LLC, which acquired assets and businesses partially from Zeledyne LLC of the U.S. as a float glass and automotive glass manufacturing company
2012 Established Central Glass Korea Co., Ltd. in Korea for selling, importing and exporting of our products and allied products.
Established Saint-Gobain Central Sekurit (Qingdao) Co., Ltd. in China as a joint venture with the Saint-Gobain Group for the purpose of manufacturing automotive glass
Established Central Glass Company India Private Limited in India for selling, importing and exporting of our products and allied products.
2014 Established TOKUYAMA & CENTRAL SODA Inc. for sale of soda ash and calcium chloride
Established Central Glass (Zhangjiagang) Co., Ltd. in China for the purpose of manufacturing glass for electronic materials
Established JCEL Co., Ltd. in South Korea as a joint venture for the purpose for manufacturing electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries
Acquired two subsidiaries (currently Carlex Glass of Indiana, Inc. and Carlex Glass Luxembourg S.A.), automotive glass manufacturing companies from Guardian Industries Corp.
2015 Central Glass Tokyo Co., Ltd. absorbed the architectural glass sales companies in each area and changed its name to Central Glass Sales Co., Ltd.
Stopped the soda ash production.
2017 Automotive glass manufacturer Carlex Glass America, LLC absorbed Carlex Glass Company, LLC and Carlex Glass of Indiana, Inc.
Established Central Glass Czech s.r.o. in Czech Republic for the purpose of manufacturing and selling electrolyte for lithium-ion batteries.
2018 Transferred our shares of TOKUYAMA & CENTRAL SODA Inc., the joint venture with Tokuyama Corporation, to Tokuyama Corporation, thereby exiting the joint venture.
Established Jiangxi Tinci Central advanced materials Co., Ltd. in China for the purpose of manufacturing and selling raw material of electrolyte for lithium-ion batteries.
Established Zhejiang Britech Central Glass Co., Ltd. in China for the purpose of manufacturing and selling special gases for semiconductors.

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