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Sumitomo Chemical Company Limited
Chemicals & Related Products · Japan · 34,703 Employees
Sumitomo Chemical is a Japanese chemical company. Its product line includes petrochemical department, energy & functional materials, information electronics.
Company History
Sep 1913
The House of Sumitomo establishes an independently managed fertilizer plant at Niihama, Ehime prefecture.
Oct 1915
Operations commence and the first shipment of calcium superphosphate fertilizer leaves the plant.
June 1925
Sumitomo Fertilizer Manufacturing Co., Ltd. is incorporated with operations at what is now the Ehime Works.
Sumitomo Fertilizer Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
Feb 1934
Sumitomo Fertilizer Manufacturing changes its name to Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd.
July 1944
Sumitomo Chemical acquires Japan Dyestuff Manufacturing Company, diversifying into dyestuffs and pharmaceuticals at the present-day Osaka Works and Oita Works.
Japan Dyestuff Manufacturing Company
Feb 1946
Name changed to Nisshin Chemical Co., Ltd.
Dec 1949
Sumitomo Chemical takes over the aluminum business of Sumitomo Aluminium Smelting Co., Ltd.
Aug 1952
Name changed to Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd.
May 1958
Sumitomo Chemical starts production of ethylene and its derivatives, diversifying into the petrochemical business at its Ehime Works.
Ethylene plant, Ehime Works
Nov 1965
The Takatsuki Research Laboratory is completed, serving as the Company’s central laboratory (closed in March 2003).
Sumitomo Chiba Chemical Co., Ltd. is established and is fully acquired in 1975 at the present-day Chiba Works.
Sumitomo Chiba Chemical Co., Ltd.
July 1971
The Takarazuka Research Center is established to reinforce research and development activities for pharmaceuticals and crop protection.
July 1976
The aluminum operation is transferred to the newly formed Sumitomo Aluminium Co., Ltd., subsequently dissolved in 1986.
Jan 1978
The Misawa Works is opened to expand production of pyrethroid household insecticides.
Feb 1982
P.T. Indonesia Asahan Aluminium starts operations.
Jan 1983
Sumitomo Chemical suspends ethylene and derivatives production at its Ehime Works and concentrates production at its Chiba Works.
Feb 1984
Sumitomo Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. is established by consolidating the pharmaceutical operations of Sumitomo Chemical and Inabata & Co., Ltd. and commences operation the same year.
Mar.
The petrochemical complex in Singapore begins operations.
Press conference to announce the establishment of Sumitomo Pharmaceuticals (now Sumitomo Pharma)
Petrochemical Corporation of Singapore (Pte.) Ltd.
June 1988
The Biochemistry & Toxicology Laboratory, subsequently renamed the Environmental Health Science Laboratory, is established at the Osaka Works.
Mar 1989
The Tsukuba Research Laboratory is established.
Apr 1997
The petrochemical complex in Singapore commences operation of its second phase expansion project, bringing the total ethylene capacity to one million tons per year.
Oct 1998
Facilities in Singapore for the manufacture of acrylic acid and its derivatives, including methyl methacrylate resins, are completed.
MMA project in Singapore
Oct 2000
Sumitomo Chemical establishes Genomic Science Laboratory, operated jointly with Sumitomo Pharmaceuticals.
May 2001
Acquired the household insecticide business of Aventis Crop Science
Oct.
Sumitomo Chemical establishes the IT-related Chemicals Sector as a new business sector.
Nov 2002
Sumitomo Chemical Takeda Agro Co., Ltd., a joint venture between Sumitomo Chemical and Takeda Chemical Industries, Ltd., succeeds Takeda Chemical’s agrochemical business and commences operation (fully acquired in 2007).
Mar 2003
Commences operation of large-scale production facilities for color filters for liquid crystal displays at Korean subsidiary, Dongwoo STI Co., Ltd.
Aug.
Sumitomo Chemical opens a plant for the integrated production of LCD polarizing film at its subsidiary Dongwoo Fine-Chem Co., Ltd. in Korea and commences operation.
Dongwoo Fine-Chem’s polarizing film plant
Mar 2004
Sumitomo Chemical opens a plant for the integrated production of polarizing film for LCD displays at its subsidiary Sumika Technology Co., Ltd. in Taiwan.
Sep 2005
Sumitomo Chemical establishes equally owned joint venture Rabigh Refining and Petrochemical Company (Petro Rabigh) together with Saudi Aramco.
Oct.
Sumitomo Pharmaceuticals and Dainippon Pharmaceutical merge to form Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma (now Sumitomo Pharma).
Groundbreaking ceremony at Petro Rabigh
Sep 2007
Sumitomo Chemical acquires UK company Cambridge Display Technology, a pioneer in the development of polymer organic LEDs and related devices, and makes it a wholly owned subsidiary.
Apr 2009
Petro Rabigh’s integrated refining and petrochemical complex starts operation of its ethane cracker, its core plant.
Oct.
Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma (now Sumitomo Pharma) acquires US pharmaceuticals company Sepracor Inc. (now Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc.)
Apr 2011
Sumitomo Chemical discontinues and reorganizes the Fine Chemicals Sector, splitting it into the Basic Chemicals Sector and the Health & Crop Sciences Sector (former Agricultural Chemicals Sector).
Apr 2015
Sumitomo Chemical reorganizes the Basic Chemicals Sector, splitting it into the Petrochemicals & Plastics Sector and the Energy & Functional Materials Sector (a new business sector).
Apr 2016
Petro Rabigh’s upgraded ethane cracker starts operation in the Phase II Project.
Petro Rabigh Phase II Project
Feb 2017
Sumitomo Chemical opens a plant for the production of separators for lithium-ion secondary batteries at SSLM, a subsidiary in South Korea.
Jan 2018
Set up a Bioscience Institute, and transfer the research function of the Genomic Science Laboratories of Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma (now Sumitomo Pharma) to this Bioscience Institute.
Dec 2019
Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma (now Sumitomo Pharma) entered into a strategic alliance with Roivant Sciences Ltd (UK).
Apr 2020
Acquired four South American subsidiaries of a leading Australian agricultural chemical company, Nufarm Ltd.
Apr 2022
Sumitomo Chemical to change the name of its Petrochemicals & Plastics Sector to Essential Chemicals & Plastics Sector.
Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma changes its name to Sumitomo Pharma.
Board of Directors
Chairman of the Board
Masakazu Tokura
Career Summary
Birth Date: July 10, 1950
1974 Joined Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd.
2003 Executive Officer
2006 Managing Executive Officer
2008 Representative Director & Managing Executive Officer
2009 Representative Director & Senior Managing Executive Officer
2011 Representative Director & President
2019 Chairman of the Board (current)
Important Concurrent Post
2021 Chairman, KEIDANREN (Japan Business Federation)
Representative Director & President
Keiichi Iwata
Career Summary Birth Date: October 11, 1957
1982 Joined Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd.
2010 Executive Officer
2013 Managing Executive Officer
2018 Senior Managing Executive Officer
2018 Representative Director & Senior Managing Executive Officer
2019 Representative Director & President (current)
Representative Director
Noriaki Takeshita
Essential Chemicals & Plastics Sector, Business Development for a Circular System for Plastics
Career Summary
Birth Date: July 23, 1958
1982 Joined Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd.
2010 Executive Officer
2013 Managing Executive Officer
2017 Representative Director & Managing Executive Officer
2018 Representative Director & Senior Managing Executive Officer (current)
Important Concurrent Post
2016 Deputy Chairman, Rabigh Refining and Petrochemical Company
Representative Director
Masaki Matsui
IT-related Chemicals Sector
Career Summary
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Birth Date: August 3, 1960
1985 Joined Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd.
2013 Executive Officer
2017 Managing Executive Officer
2019 Representative Director & Managing Executive Officer
2021 Representative Director & Senior Managing Executive Officer (current)Representative Director
Kingo Akahori
Energy & Functional Materials Sector
Career Summary
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Birth Date: August 2, 1957
1983 Joined Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd.
2015 Associate Officer
2016 Executive Officer
2018 Managing Executive Officer
2019 Representative Director & Managing Executive Officer
2021 Representative Director & Senior Managing Executive Officer (current)
Representative Director
Nobuaki Mito
Health & Crop Sciences Sector
Career Summary
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Birth Date: August 4, 1960
1985 Joined Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd.
2014 Associate Officer
2015 Executive Officer
2018 Managing Executive Officer
2020 Representative Director & Managing Executive Officer
2021 Representative Director & Senior Managing Executive Officer (current)Important Concurrent Post
2020 Chairman, Valent U.S.A. LLC
2020 Chairman, Valent Bio Sciences LLCDirector
Hiroshi Ueda
Research Planning and Coordination, Digital and Data Science Innovation, Process & Production Technology & Safety Planning, Production & Safety Fundamental Technology Center, Engineering, Intellectual Property, Responsible Care, Industrial Technology & Research Laboratory, Environmental Health Science Laboratory, Advanced Materials Development Laboratory, Bioscience Research Laboratory
Career Summary
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Birth Date: August 5, 1956
1982 Joined Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd.
2009 Executive Officer
2011 Managing Executive Officer
2016 Senior Managing Executive Officer
2016 Representative Director & Senior Managing Executive Officer
2018 Director & Senior Managing Executive Officer
2019 Director & Executive Vice President (current)
Director
Hiroshi Niinuma
General Affairs, External Relations, Legal, Human Resources
Career Summary
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Birth Date: March 5, 1958
1981 Joined Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd.
2010 Executive Officer
2013 Managing Executive Officer
2018 Senior Managing Executive Officer
2018 Director & Senior Managing Executive Officer
2022 Director & Executive Vice President (current)
Outside Director
Hiroshi Tomono
Career Summary
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Birth Date: July 13, 1945
1971 Joined Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd. (Currently NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION)
1998 Director, Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd.
1999 Managing Executive Officer, Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd.
2003 Senior Managing Executive Officer, Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd.
2003 Director & Senior Managing Executive Officer, Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd.
2005 Representative Director & Vice President, Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd.
2005 Representative Director & President, Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd.
2012 Representative Director & President & COO, Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation (Currently NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION)
2014 Representative Director & Vice Chairman, Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation
2015 Director & Advisor, Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation
2015 Advisor, Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation
2015 Outside Director, Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. (current)
2016 Outside Director, Japan Nuclear Fuel Limited (current)
2020 Senior Advisor, NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION (current)
2020 Outside Director, The Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc. (current)Outside Director
Motoshige Itoh
Career Summary
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Birth Date: December 19, 1951
1993 Professor, Faculty of Economics, The University of Tokyo
1996 Professor, Graduate School of Economics, The University of Tokyo
2007 Dean, Graduate School of Economics, Faculty of Economics, The University of Tokyo
2015 Outside Director, East Japan Railway Company (current)
2016 Professor, Faculty of International Social Sciences, Gakushuin University
2018 Outside Director, THE SHIZUOKA BANK, LTD. (current)
2018 Outside Director, Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. (current)
2022 Outside Director, JX Nippon Mining & Metals Corporation (current)
2022 Outside Director, Hagoromo Foods Corporation (current)Outside Director
Atsuko Muraki
Career Summary
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Birth Date: December 28, 1955
1978 Joined Ministry of Labour (Currently Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare)
2005 Counsellor for Policy Evaluation, Minister’s Secretariat, Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare
2006 Deputy Director-General, Equal Employment, Children and Families Bureau, Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare
2008 Director-General, Equal Employment, Children and Families Bureau, Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare
2010 Director-General for Policies on Cohesive Society, Cabinet Office
2012 Director-General, Social Welfare and War Victims’ Relief Bureau, Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare
2013 Vice Minister of Health Labour and Welfare, Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare
2015 Retired from Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare
2016 Outside Director, ITOCHU Corporation (current)
2018 Outside Director, Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. (current)Outside Director
Akira Ichikawa
Career Summary
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Birth Date: November 12, 1954
1978 Joined Sumitomo Forestry Co., Ltd.
2007 Executive Officer & General Manager, Corporate Planning Department, Sumitomo Forestry Co., Ltd.
2008 Director & Managing Executive Officer, Sumitomo Forestry Co., Ltd.
2010 Representative Director & President, Sumitomo Forestry Co., Ltd.
2020 Representative Director, Chairman of the Board, Sumitomo Forestry Co., Ltd. (current)
2021 Outside Director, Konica Minolta, Inc. (current)
2022 Outside Director, Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. (current)
Corporate Auditors
Standing Corporate Auditor
Kunio Nozaki
Career Summary
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Birth Date: October 29, 1956
1979 Joined Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd.
2007 Executive Officer
2009 Managing Executive Officer
2014 Senior Managing Executive Officer
2014 Representative Director & Senior Managing Executive Officer
2018 Director & Senior Managing Executive Officer
2019 Director
2019 Corporate Auditor (current)Standing Corporate Auditor
Hiroaki Yoshida
Career Summary
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Birth Date: March 2, 1956
1980 Joined Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd.
2009 General Manager, Internal Audit Dept. (Currently Internal Control and Audit Dept.)
2010 General Manager, Planning & Coordination Office, Petrochemicals & Plastics Sector (Currently Planning & Coordination Office, Essential Chemicals & Plastics Sector)
2012 General Manager, Planning & Coordination Office, Rabigh Project & General Manager, Planning & Coordination Office, Petrochemicals & Plastics Sector
2015 Corporate Auditor (current)
Outside Corporate Auditor
Mitsuhiro Aso
Career Summary
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Birth Date: June 26, 1949
1975 Prosecutor
2010 Superintending Prosecutor, the Fukuoka High Public Prosecutors Office
2012 Retirement as Prosecutor
2012 Registered as Attorneys (current)
2013 Outside Corporate Auditor, Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. (current)
2019 Outside Director, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings, Inc. (current)Outside Corporate Auditor
Yoshitaka Kato
Career Summary
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Birth Date: September 17, 1951
1974 Joined Tetsuzo Ota & Co. (Currently Ernst & Young ShinNihon LLC)
1978 Registered as a certified public accountant (current)
1998 Representative Patner, Showa Ota & Co. (Currently Ernst & Young ShinNihon LLC)
2006 Mnaging Executive Patner, Ernst & Young ShinNihon (Currently Ernst & Young ShinNihon LLC)
2008 CEO, Ernst & Young ShinNihon LLC (Currently Ernst & Young ShinNihon LLC)
2014 Retired from Ernst & Young ShinNihon LLC
2015 Outside Corporate Auditor, Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. (current)
2015 Outside Corporate Auditor, Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd. (current)
2016 Outside Corporate Auditor, Sumitomo Corporation (current)Outside Corporate Auditor
Michio Yoneda
Career Summary
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Birth Date: June 14, 1949
1973 Joined Bank of Japan
1998 General Manager, Sapporo Branch of Bank of Japan
2000 Retired from Bank of Japan
2000 Executive Director, Osaka Securities Exchange (Currently Japan Exchange Group, Inc.)
2001 Executive Director, Osaka Securities Exchange Co., Ltd.
2002 Senior Executive Director, Osaka Securities Exchange Co., Ltd.
2003 President & CEO, Osaka Securities Exchange Co., Ltd.
2013 Director & Representative Executive Officer, Group COO, Japan Exchange Group, Inc. Director, Tokyo Stock Exchange, Inc.
2015 Resigned as Director & Representative Executive Officer, Group COO, Japan Exchange Group, Inc. Resigned as Director, Tokyo Stock Exchange, Inc.
2018 Outside Director, Asahi Broadcasting Group Holdings Corporation (current)
2018 Outside Corporate Auditor, Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. (current)
2020 Outside Director, Toyo Tire Corporation (current)Executive Officers
President
Keiichi Iwata
Executive Vice President
Hiroshi Ueda
Research Planning and Coordination, Digital and Data Science Innovation, Process & Production Technology & Safety Planning, Production & Safety Fundamental Technology Center, Engineering, Intellectual Property, Responsible Care, Industrial Technology & Research Laboratory, Environmental Health Science Laboratory, Advanced Materials Development Laboratory, Bioscience Research Laboratory
Hiroshi Niinuma
General Affairs, External Relations, Legal, Human Resources
Senior Managing Executive Officer
Noriaki Takeshita
Essential Chemicals & Plastics Sector, Business Development for a Circular System for Plastics
Takashi Shigemori
Corporate Planning, IT Innovation
Masaki Matsui
IT-related Chemicals Sector
Kingo Akahori
Energy & Functional Materials Sector
Nobuaki Mito
Health & Crop Sciences Sector
Managing Executive Officer
Marc Vermeire
Sumitomo Chemical Agro Europe S.A.S., Sumitomo Chemical Europe S.A./N.V.
Keiichi Sakata
Sumitomo Chemical Asia Pte Ltd
Motoyuki Sakai
Inorganic Materials Div., Specialty Chemicals Div., Advanced Polymers Div., Battery Materials Div.
Seiji Takeuchi
Planning & Coordination Office, Essential Chemicals & Plastics Sector, Responsible Care Dept., Essential Chemicals & Plastics Sector, Basic Materials Div., Industrial Chemicals Div., Essential Chemicals Research Laboratory
Naoyuki Inoue
Procurement, Logistics
Keigo Sasaki
Corporate Communications, Accounting, Finance
Kenji Ohno
Sustainability, Internal Control and Audit, Legal Dept.
Shinichiro Nagata
Ehime Works
Yoshizumi Sasaki
Business Development Office for a Circular System for Plastics, Resin-related Business Development Dept., Polyolefins Div, Automotive Materials Div, MMA Div.
Ichiro Kosaka
Planning & Coordination Office, Energy & Functional Materials Sector, Quality Assurance Office, Energy & Functional Materials Sector
Takanari Yamaguchi
Research Planning & Coordination Dept., Digital and Date Science Innovation Dept., Intellectual Property Dept., Industrial Technology & Research Laboratory, Advanced Materials Development Laboratory
Hirokazu Murata
Oita Works, Misawa Works
Koichi Ogino
Chiba Works
Juan Ferreira
Work related to South American businesses of the Health & Crop Sciences Sector and Valent U.S.A.
Shinsuke Shojima
AgroSolutions Div. – International, Animal Nutrition Div.
Executive Officer
Akira Iwasaki
Planning & Coordination Office, Energy & Functional Materials Sector, Quality Assurance Office, Energy & Functional Materials Sector
Inho Rha
Dongwoo Fine-Chem Co., Ltd
Akira Nakanishi
Planning & Coordination Office, IT-related Chemicals Sector, Electronic Materials Div.
Masao Shimizu
Human Resources Dept., Osaka Office Administration Dept.
Hiroaki Fujimoto
AgroSolutions Div. – Japan
Kanako Fukuda
Sumitomo Chemical Europe S.A./N.V.
Hiroyoshi Mukai
Planning & Coordination Office, Health & Crop Sciences Sector, Quality Assurance Office, Health & Crop Sciences Sector
Takanori Ito
Process & Production Technology & Safety Planning Dept., Production & Safety Fundamental Technology Center, Responsible Care Dept.
Yoshihiro Ino
IT Innovation Dept.
Tetsuo Takahashi
Planning & Coordination Office,Essential Chemicals & Plastics Sector
Tomoyuki Hirayama
General Affairs Dept., External Relations Dept.
Satoshi Honda
Planning & Coordination Office, IT-related Chemicals Sector, Quality Assurance Office, IT-related Chemicals Sector
Takeo Kitayama
Corporate Planning Office
Noriaki Oku
Rabigh Refining and Petrochemical Company
Junpei Tsuji
Research Planning Coordination Office
Toshihiro Yamauchi
Accounting Dept.
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Top Message
Creative Hybrid Chemistry For a Better Tomorrow
Sumitomo Chemical was established in 1913 to manufacture fertilizers from sulfur dioxide emitted from smelting operations at the Besshi copper mine in Niihama, Ehime Prefecture, with the aim of solving environmental problems caused by the emissions.
“We must not merely seek business profits but must contribute broadly to society through our business activities.” -Sumitomo Chemical, founded with the dual goals of eliminating pollution and helping increase crop yields, has upheld this founding principle as it has evolved in keeping with the changing times.
At present, the Sumitomo Chemical Group operates businesses in five sectors – Essential Chemicals & Plastics, Energy & Functional Materials, IT-related Chemicals, Health & Crop Sciences, and Pharmaceuticals – and provides products worldwide that support a wide variety of industries and help people’s daily lives.
We at the Sumitomo Chemical Group will continue to contribute to solving problems facing the global community and to contribute to improving the Quality of Life for people around the world in areas such as resources, energy, food, and the environment by capitalizing on our technological prowess and to seek to earn the greater trust of our business partners, shareholders, investors, communities where we work, and all other stakeholders.
Masakazu Tokura
Chairman of the Board
Keiichi Iwata
Representative Director & PresidentSumitomo Chemical was established in 1913 to manufacture fertilizers from sulfur
dioxide emitted from smelting operations at the Besshi copper mine in Niihama, Ehime Prefecture, with the aim
of solving environmental problems caused by the emissions.
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