Message from the President

Kao-Quaker started out in 1974 as a joint venture between Quaker Oats in the United States and Kao Soap Co., Ltd. selling its furan binder, KAO LIGHTNER. In 1981, the Toyohashi Plant commenced operations with a dedicated wharf and raw material storage tank to provide an effective raw material supply chain for furan resin. Two years later, in 1983, we opened the Toyohashi Laboratory and Casting Center aimed at product research and development and to provide a range of solution services, establishing a culture of Genba-ism and Yoki-Monozukuri that lives on today.　Our strengths are derived from our synthesis and formulation design technology, based on interfacial science and polymer chemistry cultivated over many years by the Kao Group that enables the matching of heat-resistant materials with optimal physical properties. Developed technologies are evaluated using the same casting equipment found in a foundry installed at the Toyohashi Casting Center, and commercialized after the strict testing to ensure products align with customer requirements.

With global environmental issues becoming increasingly serious in the 21st century, the entire industrial industry, including the casting industry, is being called upon to take sustainable action. There is also a serious shortage of workers at foundries, prompting urgent attention to improving working conditions and productivity.Our mainstay furan resin is made from non-edible biomass, such as corn kernels, and boasts a high sand recycling rate, making it a superior binder in terms of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). To date, we have developed a range of products, including New Furan, based on this furan resin, designed to help improve working environments, alkaline phenol binders that aim to improve the working environment and casting quality by taking advantage of their sulfa-free composition, EG RUNNERs made from paper that help reduce waste and workload, and artificial sand, LUNAMOS. However, this is still not enough to overcome the challenges ahead.Kao-Quaker aims to further strengthen Genba-ism and Yoki-Monozukuri in order to further contribute to the sustainable development of our customers. For example, we are committed to actively taking on challenges not bound by conventional fields and methods, such as the development of on-site management systems that utilize digital technology to bring together people and digital tools, and the proposal of more environmentally friendly products that are superior in terms of LCA.Kao-Quaker will continue to devote ourselves every day to helping customers resolve their problems and achieve sustainable development, and ensure that we are their first port of call in their time of need.