History of Kao's Chemical Business

[Japan]
Opening of Nagase Shoten in Tokyo, Japan by Kao's founder, Mr. Tomiro Nagase

[Japan]
Crude glycerine is launched.

[Japan]
Establishment of Kao Sekken Nagase Shokai Co., Ltd.
Aimed at mass production and mass selling and undertook management modernization

[Japan]
Sales of ECONA edible oil for food industry use begun
Results from research into fats, the raw material used to produce soap, enabled Japan's first sales of shortening oil

[Japan]
Based on detached Azuma factory, Dai Nihon Yushi Co., Ltd. established
Sales of coconut fatty acid begun

[Japan]
Sales of fatty alcohol (octyl alcohol) begun

[Japan]
Hydrogenation and dehydration (HD) process invented

[Japan]
Nihon Yuki Co., Ltd. established through fifty-fifty investment with Tekkosha Co., Ltd.
Sakata Plant commenced operations in northern Japan

[Japan]
Dai Nihon Yushi's Wakayama Plant commenced operations in western Japan
Began trial production of aircraft lubricating oil

[Japan]
Kao Sekken Nagase Shokai Co., Ltd. renamed Kao Co., Ltd.

[Japan]
Nihon Yuki Co., Ltd. renamed Kao Soap Co., Ltd.
At the same time, Kao Yushi Co., Ltd. established through the merger of Kao Co., Ltd and Dai Nihon Yushi Co., Ltd.

[Japan]
Sales of VINYCIZER plasticizer begun

[Japan]
Sales of surfactants begun

[Japan]
Sales of FARMIN fatty amine begun

[Japan]
Kao Soap Co., Ltd. established through the merger of Kao Soap Co., Ltd. and Kao Yushi Co., Ltd.
Sales of NEW ECONA shortening begun (cooking oil division)

[Japan]
KAOLIZER urethane form catalysts, which served as the initial step towards the future development of urethane business

[Japan]
Industrial Science Research Laboratories established in Wakayama
Tokyo Research Laboratories established in 1967 to enhance R&D activities
Sales of MIGHTY concrete additives begun
Producing high-strength and high-durability concrete, MIGHTY is used for building expressways, skyscrapers and other structures

[Worldwide]
Kao Industrial (Thailand) Co., Ltd. established
Kao (Taiwan) Corporation established

[Japan]
Kao-Quaker Co., Ltd. established (furan resin for casting. Joint venture
with Quaker Oats Co.(U.S.) and became a fully-owned subsidiary in 1997)

[Worldwide]
Quimi-Kao S.A. de C.V. established in Mexico

[Worldwide]
Pilipinas Kao, Inc. established as a joint venture company with Aboitiz & Co., Inc. in the Philippines. Plant built in Mindanao in 1979, and production of fatty alcohol, etc. made from coconut fatty acid begun

P.T. Polekao Indonesia Chemicals (now P.T. Kao Indonesia Chemicals) established

[Japan]
Establishment of Tochigi Research Laboratories

[Japan]
Kashima Plant, the second domestic chemical plant after our Wakayama Plant, began operation

Sales of toner binders for copiers begun
Sales of toners begun in 1983

[Japan]
Toyohashi Plant completed. Began operating as our main plant for producing binder for casting

[Worldwide]
High Point Chemical Corporation (now Kao Specialties Americas LLC) acquired in the United States

[Worldwide]
Fatty Chemical (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. established
Kao (Southeast Asia) Pte. Ltd. (now Kao (Singapore) Private Ltd.) established

[Worldwide]
Chemische Fabrik CHEM-Y GmbH (now Kao Chemicals GmbH) acquired in Germany

[Worldwide]
Kao Plasticizer (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. established and production of plasticizers begun
Kao Chemical Corporation Shanghai established in China

[Worldwide]
Kao Chemicals GmbH in Germany: Tertiary amine production plant opened
Kao Specialties Americas LLC in USA: Toner binders production plant operated and its sales begun
Kao Corporation S.A. in Spain: New plant for aroma chemicals opened

[Worldwide]
Kao Chemical Corporation Shanghai in China: New sulfation facilities and manufacturing plant for MIGHTY concrete additive opened

[Japan]
New fragrance production facility opened at the Wakayama Plant

[Japan]
Production and sales of colorants for inkjet printers begun

[Wordwide]
Fatty alcohol production plant expanded at Fatty Chemical (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. in Malaysia

[Worldwide]
New plant opened in Thailand to boost production base in Southeast Asia
Kao Chemicals GmbH in Germany: Tertiary amine production plant expanded

[Worldwide]
Kao Chemical Corporation Shanghai in China: New plant for producing refrigerant oil base built

[Worldwide]
New plant in Pilipinas Kao, Inc. plant goes into operation, expanding yearly production capacity for fatty alcohol to 300 thousand tons
together with our Malaysia plant

[Worldwide]
Tertiary amine plant expanded at Pilipinas Kao, Inc in the Philippines.

[Japan]
Toner binder plant opened in Wakayama plant.

[Worldwide]
Kao do Brasil Representação Comercial Ltda established in Brazil.
New plants for casting agents go into operation at Huludao Jinxing Casting Materials Co.， Ltd in China

[Worldwide]
New plant in P.T.Kao Indonesia Chemicals goes into operation at Karawang consolidating Tambun plants in Indonesia.
The Tambun plant moved and transferred their operation to Karawang until December 2014.
Capacity for fatty alcohol enhanced at Pilipinas Kao, Inc in the Philippines. 

[Worldwide]
New plant established at Kao (Shanghai) Chemical Industries Co.，Ltd. in China

[Worldwide]
Kao Acquired Chimigraf Holding (Spain) and renamed it Kao Chimigraf.

[Worldwide]
New chemical factory of Kao's Indonesian joint venture company （PT Apical Kao Chemicals）has been completed.

[Worldwide]
Kao establishes a tertiary amine production base in Texas, USA, to strengthen the foundation of its chemical business.
Chemical Business Division in Kao Vietnam Co., Ltd. established.
Kao Is Expanding Its Synthetic Fragrance Production Facilities in Spain, with the Aim of Strengthening Its Fragrance Business in Europe.
Kao Joins Geno as Founding Member of $120M+ Venture to Globally Scale Palm Oil Alternative.
Business Alliance Formed with Polar Star Space toward the Establishment of Ganoderma Disease Monitoring Technology on Oil Palm Farms.