Tosoh Corporation evolved from humble beginnings in 1935 as a domestic producer of caustic soda and soda ash in Japan. The Japanese characters for “Tosoh”, in fact, are an abbreviation for oriental soda. Today, the Company is a multinational corporation that generates an array of products to suit modern lifestyles and that contribute to the development of cutting-edge products and technologies. Tosoh is a global supplier of inorganic chemicals, petrochemicals, and specialty materials. As a result, the Group’s customers include the semiconductor, pharmaceutical, health care and food, and many other industries that produce items used daily. The Tosoh Group comprises 140 companies and more than 50 of those firms are located outside Japan. Together, Group companies employ a multiethnic workforce of over 9,000 people and generate net sales of approximately US$5 billion.