Shin-Etsu Silicones of America celebrates its 40th anniversary

Akron, OH – Shin-Etsu Silicones of America, Inc. (SESA) will celebrate its 40th anniversary during a luncheon reception at its Akron, OH headquarters on Thursday, July 17th from 11am-1pm (EST). Local management will be joined by key executives from SESA’s parent company (Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd., Japan), and the Mayor of Akron, OH, Shammas Malik, to commemorate this momentous occasion.

Shin-Etsu Chemical is one of the largest chemical companies in Japan−producing over 5,000 different silicone products worldwide. SESA first entered the United States in 1982 as a trading company in a Los Angeles, CA sales office with two employees from Japan: Mr. Tomio Shibata and Mr. Jun Hamuro. In 1985, Shin-Etsu Silicones of America, Inc. was legally incorporated. Three years later, the operation expanded into the Torrance, CA Technical Center−beginning the first domestic production of silicone in 1989.

In 1990, SESA formed a joint venture with an Akron-based compounder of HCR silicones, Novacor, and the new company was named Shincor Silicones, Inc. By 1991, Shincor had become a wholly owned subsidiary of Shin-Etsu Chemical. With a large manufacturing footprint established in Ohio, SESA decided to move its entire operation to Akron in 1995 into a newly constructed plant and headquarters at 1150 Damar Drive.
Since 1995, SESA has dramatically expanded their facility and production investments in Akron with the acquisition of three more buildings on Tower Drive, and the construction of two new manufacturing plants on Evans Avenue in 2018 and 2023, respectively. Altogether, SESA currently owns 45 acres of land in Akron with 220,000 square feet of building space and employs 230 people.

Notably, SESA has also been significantly growing outside of Ohio. In 2003, an organofunctional silanes plant began production in Freeport, TX, and their state-of-the-art Cosmetic Application Lab (CAL) was established in 2011 in Totowa, NJ. The CAL was later consolidated into SESA’s new Fluids R&D Center in Paramus, NJ in 2015. Since its inception, SESA has grown from 2 employees in the Los Angeles sales office to 287 employees nationwide.
Over the course of 40 years, SESA’s sales have increased to hundreds of millions of dollars. According to John Heitler, SESA’s Chief Operating Officer, “SESA’s impressive growth is directly attributable to the company’s absolute commitment to safety, quality, and the continuous development of specialty products that deliver value to our customers.” Heitler also noted SESA’s dedication to their employees which has led to tremendous continuity across the organization. Heitler speaks from experience, as he is celebrating his 37th anniversary with the company this year.