NOVI, Mich.—Asahi Kasei America has opened a new marketing office in Novi.
Officials with New York-based Asahi Kasei said in a statement that the new office is intended to strengthen the firm's marketing function in North America, mainly in the automotive field.
Asahi Kasei America is a unit of Japanese conglomerate Asahi Kasei Corp. The unit includes Asahi Kasei Plastics North America, a Fowlerville, Mich.-based business that ranks as one of North America's largest plastic compounders.
A recent management initiative from Asahi Kasei America cited mobility as "a priority field" in the material business sector. In North America, Asahi Kasei makes and sells car interior materials, compounded resins and battery separators and also sells electronic components.
The firm also provides technical support to customers in the automotive industry. Many Asahi Kasei products have been adopted by major auto makers in the region, officials said.
Regarding the new office in Novi, near Detroit, Asahi Kasei officials said that by concentrating the company's automotive marketing functions at the center of the industry, the firm "will continue to propose innovative products that meet rapidly changing market needs."
Asahi Kasei has compounding plants in Fowlerville and in Athens, Ala. And is planning to add a plant in Mexico.