MGC Woodchem Corporation

MGC Woodchem Corporation is a Japanese specialty chemical manufacturer focused on wood adhesives, coatings, hot-melt adhesives, antimicrobial and antiviral agents, and lectins. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, Inc. (MGC). The company's business origins trace back to 1933, when the chemical products division of the edible oil maker Hohnen Oil (later J-Oil Mills) began selling plywood adhesives made from soybean protein, a by-product of soybean oil pressing. In 1958, a manufacturing joint venture named Toyo Formalin Industry was established between Nippon Gas Chemical Industry (now Mitsubishi Gas Chemical) and Hohnen Oil. Over the decades the business shifted from natural to synthetic resins, and in 2004 the chemical products division was spun off as J-Chemical. In 2021, J-Oil Mills transferred its shares in Yutaka Chemical to Mitsubishi Gas Chemical, making it a wholly owned MGC subsidiary. On April 1, 2022, Yutaka Chemical absorbed J-Chemical, and on April 2, 2022, the company changed its name to MGC Woodchem Corporation. The company positions itself as a top-share manufacturer of plywood and wood board adhesives in Japan, and its mission is to contribute to safe, healthy living environments and a sustainable society through the power of chemistry. Its product portfolio includes phenol resin, melamine-urea resin, vinyl acetate emulsion, synthetic rubber latex, resorcinol resin, and aqueous polymer-isocyanate adhesives; wood coatings; hot-melt adhesives for packaging, bookbinding, construction, assembly and pressure-sensitive applications; silver-based antimicrobial and antiviral agents under the AG Alpha brand; and lectins for cancer diagnostics and research reagents. The company operates plants in Hiratsuka (Kanagawa), Shimizu (Shizuoka) and Mizushima (Okayama), with sales offices in Tokyo and Osaka. For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, sales were 11.4 billion yen, and capital was 480 million yen. The president is Yasushi Tashiro.

The origins of MGC Woodchem date to 1933, when the chemical products division of Toyo Nenryo (Hohnen Oil) began selling plywood adhesives made from soybean protein, a by-product of soybean oil pressing. In 1950, the company launched urea resin adhesives, shifting from natural to synthetic resins. In 1958, a manufacturing joint venture, Toyo Formalin Industry Co., Ltd., was established with equal investment from Nippon Gas Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. (now Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Co., Ltd.) and Hohnen Oil Co., Ltd. In 1989, Hohnen Oil changed its name to Hohnen Corporation. In 2004, Hohnen Corporation merged with three other edible oil manufacturers to form J-Oil Mills, Inc., and the chemical products division was spun off as J-Chemical Co., Ltd. On March 29, 2021, J-Oil Mills announced the transfer of all shares of Yutaka Chemical Co., Ltd. (formerly Toyo Formalin Industry) to Mitsubishi Gas Chemical. The shares were transferred on May 31, 2021, making Yutaka Chemical a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Gas Chemical. On April 1, 2022, Yutaka Chemical absorbed J-Chemical, and on April 2, 2022, the company changed its name to MGC Woodchem Corporation. The company has since continued to develop adhesives and coatings that contribute to the utilization of domestic timber and recycled materials, and to expand its antimicrobial and antiviral agents and lectin products.

• 2022

  Yutaka Chemical absorbs J-Chemical on April 1; changes name to MGC Woodchem Corporation on April 2.

• 2021

  J-Oil Mills transfers all shares of Yutaka Chemical to Mitsubishi Gas Chemical; Yutaka Chemical becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of MGC.

• 2004

  Hohnen Corporation merges with three other edible oil manufacturers to form J-Oil Mills; chemical products division spun off as J-Chemical Co., Ltd.

• 1989

  Hohnen Oil changes its name to Hohnen Corporation.

• 1958

  Toyo Formalin Industry Co., Ltd. established as a joint venture between Nippon Gas Chemical Industry and Hohnen Oil.

• 1950

  Launches urea resin adhesives, shifting to synthetic resins.

• 1933

  Chemical products division of Hohnen Oil begins selling plywood adhesives made from soybean protein; origin of MGC Woodchem's business.

• 1922

  Toyo Nenryo (Hohnen Oil) established, one of the predecessors of J-Oil Mills.

Top-share manufacturer of wood adhesives in Japan, leveraging biomass utilization and chemical technology to provide safe, healthy living environments and contribute to a sustainable society.

• Plywood adhesives (PF series, MB/UB series)

  Phenol resin and melamine-urea resin adhesives for plywood and wood boards; top-share in Japan.

• PF-500 series

  Phenol resin adhesive developed for domestic softwood plywood, accommodating various species.

• UB/MB series

  Urea-melamine resin adhesives for wood boards made from recycled materials.

• Wood coatings

  Acrylic emulsion putty and concrete formwork plywood coatings.

• Hot-melt adhesives

  EVA and synthetic rubber based hot-melt adhesives for packaging, bookbinding, construction, assembly, and pressure-sensitive applications.

• AG Alpha

  Silver-based aqueous antimicrobial and antiviral agent for detergents, sanitary products, coatings, and hygiene materials.

• Lectins

  Lectins for cancer diagnostics raw material, iPS-derived immune cell culture additives, and research reagents.

1. 1MGCウッドケム株式会社 公式サイトmgcwoodchem.com
2. 2会社紹介 | MGCウッドケム株式会社mgcwoodchem.com
3. 3製品紹介 | MGCウッドケム株式会社mgcwoodchem.com
4. 4技術開発と環境 | MGCウッドケム株式会社mgcwoodchem.com
5. 5MGCウッドケム - Wikipediaja.wikipedia.org
6. 6MGC Woodchem - Wikidatawikidata.org