In 2008, SOMAR celebrated the 60th anniversary since its foundation. We are very grateful to our esteemed partners- the suppliers and the customers for 60 years of our long time business existence and development.

Currently, being united all together, SOMAR has been striving to complete the most important assignments formulated in 2007 in its “Mid-term Business Management Plan” - “Globalization”, “Internal Structural Reform” and “New business Development”.

In our global business development started from 2007 under the mottoes of “Servicing customers from easily accessible places”, we have strengthened mainly in China and Southeast Asian regions production/sales facilities and reformed logistics/sales system to offer the best proposals that can meet the needs from our customers.

In the global recession in the latter part of 2008 stemmed from the monetary crisis, we also suffered from that impact, but taking it a challenge for “Reform”, positive structural reform was made to get ready for coming economic upturn and eventually gained strong business capability. Besides, internally, through the “Innovative SOMAR” activity, continuing expense cuts and the training of employees for letting them acquire versatile individual job skills were pushed forward aiming at higher productivity.

Further, SOMAR is positively developing next generation materials based on its material development / application technologies and knowledge gained during the past 60 years. Focusing on molecular design technologies through high-polymer synthesis and organic synthesis, we are pushing forward the material development that will meet the customer needs and industrial environments.

In 2011, SOMATEC Corporation, one of our manufacturing subsidiaries will start its production. It will work as a production hub for new business development that is as well considerate to environmental protection.

SOMAR will continue to push forward positive business development, become an entity “that will be indispensable for our customers” as well in the 21st century, enlarge its business and strive to become the business that really can contribute to the society.

Since it was established in 1948 shortly after the end of war, SOMAR directed its attention to the newest chemical technologies and products at that time in U.S.A. and Europe, and has contributed to the development of industries by introducing them quickly to the domestic market and answering, in optimal form, the needs from electrical, electronic, automobile, paper making industry and such.

Through these business activities, such corporate climate as pioneer and challenging spirit has been naturally acquired, and 
by “turning the dream into tangible results”, we found the reason for living as SOMAR’s employees.

Through the realization and sublimation of the above, the words “SOMAR uses its wisdom to the full” had been created and handed down to us as a backbone for our business management even today.

Today, in view of social environment that surrounds businesses globalizes and changes rapidly, we would like to perform a part of “social responsibility of a business” by setting the business management philosophy of “SOMAR uses its wisdom to the full” as the starting point for our business activities from here on too, strengthening further the functions as high quality technology-development oriented business that can be globally accepted continuously and raising the significance of existence as “Technology Partner”.

There are two sides to SOMAR;
one is trading company and the other is manufacturing company.

The world is getting complicated and diversified and, in the business environment as well, the problems each business is confronted with are getting complicated and diversified.

Fortunately, Somar has grown as a business that has functions of both “trading” and “manufacturing”, and has been bracing itself to utilize both functions effectively and offer pertinent proposals timely to solve those complicated and diversified problems.

In future as well, Somar is determined to solve problems such as these along with customers as a strong partner, and raise the significance of its existence.

Major Changes and Trends for Major Product Development

1948

Marusho Industrial Co., Ltd. was established

1956

Established a laboratory in Adachi Ward, Tokyo.

1962

The laboratory was separated, then established independently as Somar Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

• Promoted fine patterning technology and developed such products for PCB industry as (to ‘75):
• Electron beam resists for semiconductors
• Resist inks for PCBs
• SMT adhesives

1984

Merged with Somar Manufacturing Co., Ltd. and company name has been changed to SOMAR Corporation.

1985

Was registered at the over-the-counter stock market of Japan Securities Dealers Association.

1988

Has been listed on Second Section of Tokyo Stock Exchange.

• Introduced such various functional films that would adapt to the needs arose from new technical trend as (to ’89):
• Films for ink-jet printing
• Non-reflective light shading black films for optical instruments
• Adhesive films for FPC production processes

1995

Gained ISO9001 certification of quality management (now being applied across the company)

2001

Soka Factory gained ISO14001 certification of environmental management.

• Strengthened such business for joint-development, contract production/OEM, etc. as (‘00 to ’02):
• Electro-magnetic wave shielding adhesive films
• Metal foil coating
• Thermal expansion films for electronic parts production processes

2006

Established Somar Corporation (H.K.) Ltd. (Hong Kong）

2007

Established Somar Fine Chemicals (Zhuhai) Ltd.（Zhuhai, Guangdong, China）

2008

Established SOMATECH Corp.（Sendai, Miyagi, Japan）

Established Somar (Taiwan) Co., Ltd.（Chungho, Taipei, Taiwan）

Established Siam Somar Co., Ltd.（Bangkok, Thailand）

2010

Established Somar Fine Chemicals (Zhuhai) Ltd. Shanghai Branch(Shanghai, China)