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, fine glass, chemicals, fertilizers, fine chemicals and glass fibers, and continually strive to respond to the diversifying needs of society.
| 1936 | Ube Soda Industry Co., Ltd. was established with a capital of 7.5 million yen in Ube City, Yamaguchi. |
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| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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 | Established Northwestern Industries, Inc. in Washington State, USA with the purpose of manufacturing and selling architectural glass. 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)). |
| 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 the Taiwanese automobile parts manufacturer Yue Sheng Industrial Co., Ltd. |
| 1988 | Completed multi-purpose production facility for high purity fluorine gases at the Ube Plant. Spun off the fertilizer production division and established the subsidiary Central Kasei Chemical Co., Ltd. |
| 1989 | Established Central Glass America Inc. and through it, Carlex Glass Company was established as a joint venture with Ford Motor Company Group for the purpose of manufacturing and selling automotive glass in Tennessee State, USA. |
| 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 United States. |
| 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 with the purpose of cutting and processing thin sheet glass. Carlex Glass Company became a wholly owned subsidiary after dissolving the joint venture with the Ford Motor Company Group. |
| 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. |
| 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 Taiwan's Giga Gas & Electronic Materials Company and made the company a subsidiary of Central Glass. 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. Completed No. 1 production facility for resist polymers at the Kawasaki Plant. |
| 2008 | Established Central Glass Germany GmbH in Germany and through it, acquired the Kuensebeck Site of Girindus A.G. |
