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© 2008 Zeon Chemicals L.P.
About Zeon - History

History


1989

October 12, Zeon Chemicals USA, Inc. (a wholly owned subsidiary of Nippon Zeon Co., Ltd.,) was founded when Nippon Zeon purchased the synthetic rubber division of the BF Goodrich Co. Nippon Zeon Co., Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, began construction of a hydrogenated nitrile elastomers plant in Bayport, Texas.

     
1990 May 24, Zeon Chemicals USA, Inc. broke ground for a Research, Development, and Technical Service Center in Louisville, Kentucky. The center was completed one year later.
     
1994 December, five separate companies under the management of Zeon Chemicals USA, Inc. were incorporated into one company and the name changed to Zeon Chemicals.
     
1995 August 15, to better serve customers, the Marketing offices of Zeon Chemicals in Chicago, Illinois were relocated to the company headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky for closer proximity to the Technical Service Center.

1996
September 30, Zeon Chemicals made its first acquisition with the EniChem Elastomerie, Inc. polyacrylic elastomers (from Milan, Italy). The acquired product line was combined into Zeon Chemicals’ existing polyacrylic elastomers line, manufactured in Louisville, Kentucky.
     
1998 April 1, Zeon Chemicals became the major shareholder of Zeon Biomune in Kansas City, Kansas. The company produces vaccines for the poultry and avian industry.
April 1, Zeon Chemicals became a major shareholder of Zeon Aromatics, Inc. in New York. The company distributes basic ingredients for the perfumes and aromas industry.
     
1999 March 19, Zeon Chemicals L.P. acquired DSM Copolymer's Nysyn NBR business.
The acquisition included business assets, such as customer lists, product technology, contractual arrangements and trademark licensing and the exclusive right to purchase NBR products from DSM Copolymer.
September 9, Zeon Chemicals L.P. acquired Goodyear's nitrile (NBR) bale rubber business. Zeon continues to support the Goodyear customer base of the business as well as to provide for Goodyear's continuing internal NBR requirements.
November 1, Nitriflex S.A., a producer of specialty elastomers and resins, located in Sao Paulo, became the exclusive distributor of Zeon Chemical's products in Brazil.
     
2000 January 13, Zeon Chemicals L.P. and Nitriflex S.A. formed a strategic alliance focusing on elastomers and polymers for the rubber and plastics industries.
January 13, Zeon Chemicals became the exclusive distributor for Nitriflex's NBR and SBR in North America (Canada, U.S. and Mexico).
In honor of celebrating its 50th anniversary on April 12, 2000, Nippon Zeon created a new corporate logo and changed its name to Zeon Corporation to better reflect Zeon’s position as a global leading supplier of elastomers and specialty chemicals.

2001
October 11, Zeon Chemicals L.P. and Sidiac announced their decision to form a strategic alliance to develop and market fully fluxed NBR/PVC products to serve customers in North America. The strategic alliance brings together the high quality production capabilities of Sidiac to the strength of the Zeon Chemicals position as a global leading supplier of elastomers and specialty chemicals.
     
2002 May 13, Zeon Chemicals will begin distribution in North America of their parent company’s polyisoprene rubber. Zeon Chemicals is one of just a few companies to distribute the product in North America.
November 13, Zeon Chemicals and Advanced Elastomer Systems, L.P. announced today an agreement that gives Zeon exclusive rights to license certain AES technology involving heat and oil-resistant thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs).
TPVs, a special class of thermoplastic elastomers, offer the feel and performance of thermoset rubber, but process with the ease, convenience, cycle time advantages. Zeon will combine AES technology with its specialty elastomers to produce and market TPVs capable of withstanding the harsh fluids and the higher temperatures experienced in some of today’s under-the-hood applications in automobiles and in certain industrial environments.  Zeon will market the new TPVs under the Zeotherm ™ trade name highlighted at www.zeotherm.com.