WACKER Looks Back on 20 Years in Asia

20-Feb-2003

WACKER celebrates the 20th anniversary of its first Asian-Pacific subsidiary. The establishment of Tokyo-based Wacker Chemicals East Asia in 1983 signaled the start of the Group's expansion in this growth region. WACKER now has six production sites in India, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore. A network of seven technical centers and more than 20 sales offices offers customers local support. The WACKER Group has over 1,700 employees in Asia Pacific, with fiscal 2001 earnings exceeding EUR 500 million - representing almost 20 percent of consolidated sales.

In his address to over 200 customers and business associates, Group CEO Dr. Peter-Alexander Wacker underscored the strategic significance of Japan and Asia Pacific for the WACKER Group's continued growth: "Japan is very important to us not only as a sales market, but also as a trendsetting technology leader in electronics and, above all, semiconductors." Dr. Wacker continued by saying that the Group's strong presence in Japan secured it a leading technological position in silicon-wafer production.

WACKER's CEO expects the entire Asian-Pacific region to experience above-average double-digit growth of the chemical market in the coming years. That is why the WACKER Group is actively strengthening its presence in the region. Dr. Wacker added that China is a particular focus.

With over 700 WACKER employees in Japan, the company produces semiconductor products and silicones locally. Wacker NSCE Corporation, a joint venture between Wacker Siltronic AG and Nippon Steel Corporation, makes 150- to 300-mm diameter wafers in Hikari, in the southwest of Honchu island. WACKER's Hikari operations also include silicon wafer surface treatment and 150- to 300-mm crystal pulling. Hikari is the main WACKER site for supplying the huge Japanese semiconductor market.

WACKER Asahikasei Silicone Co., Ltd. is a joint venture set up by Wacker-Chemie GmbH and Asahi Kasei Corp. in 1999. Today, the company is Asia's fourth largest silicone producer. It supplies silicone products to customers in Japan. At its production site in Akeno, some 100 km (62 miles) northeast of Tokyo, WACKER has cutting-edge facilities for product and process development, technical services, production and warehousing.

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