Heisen Yoko: The global chemicals trader with sustainability in its sights

From the invention of a revolutionary hydraulic lathe to the development of leading-edge pick-and-place machines, Fuji's pursuit of innovation has been present throughout its history.

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Heisen Yoko is a major Japanese trading company that specializes in distributing chemicals used to manufacture rubber, polyurethane and plastics. An importer and exporter with over a century of experience, the firm works as a sales agent for partner companies worldwide.

"We were founded in 1920 and first started importing chemicals for rubber from Bayer in Germany," President Denjiro Tobari says. "At that time, Japanese companies were using inorganic chemicals to make rubber, and it took hours. However, with Bayer's organic chemical, it only took five or ten minutes - so many companies started to shift to it, and we were the supplier."