Materials supplier Asahi Kasei America Inc. plans to close its New York City office and consolidate its headquarters to its Novi, Mich., location.
The company, which supplies automotive, health care and other industries, will move all headquarters administrative operations to its 14,400-square-foot office in suburban Detroit effective Nov. 1, according to a Sept. 25 news release.
The move will allow it to “streamline processes” and underscores its “commitment to operational excellence in North America.”
The North American office of Asahi Kasei was founded in New York in 1959 and opened its Novi office 60 years later, undergoing an expansion in 2023.
“Transitioning our headquarters to Novi represents more than an address change,” Takuma Miura, president of Asahi Kasei America, said in the release. “This move will empower us for future growth, as we’ll be better situated in the center of the country to reach our growing client base in the material, homes and health care sectors nationwide.”
It is not clear if the headquarters move comes with job creation in Novi. Crain's Detroit Business inquired with the company for more information. CDB is a sister publication of Plastics News.
Asahi Kasei, a subsidiary of an eponymous Japanese conglomerate, has more than 49,000 employees globally. In addition to its Novi office, the company operates Asahi Kasei Plastics North America in Fowleriville, Mich., which ranks as one of North America's largest plastic compounders.
It has been named one of the top places to work in the plastics industry each year since 2015.
“Our headquarters in Novi will be a place for creativity, a launchpad for groundbreaking ideas, and a single home where we will continue to focus on delivering for our partners,” Miura said.
