Air Water Inc. is pleased to announce that Air Water Materials Inc. (hereinafter "AW Materials"), a trading company in the Air Water Group specializing in semiconductor, industrial chemical and other products, took a stake in Hong-Kuang Hi-Tech Co., Ltd. (hereinafter "HK"), a semiconductor-related gas dealer in Taiwan, on April 8, 2022.
On April 25, Mitsui & Co., Ltd. also invested in HK. This move constitutes part of the initiatives that followed the strategic alliance* between Air Water Inc. and Mitsui & Co., Ltd., established on February 24, 2022 and aimed at expanding the industrial gas business in the global market.
* Refer to the news release on February 24, 2022 titled AIR WATER and Mitsui Reach Agreement on Strategic Alliance Aimed at Global Cooperation Centered on the Industrial Gas Business.
1. Overview
HK is a trading company established in 2010. It sells industrial gases for the electronics industry, such as liquefied carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and fluorine-containing gases in Taiwan. In response to increased production at semiconductor manufacturers, it has a plan to construct a new gas refining plant in Taiwan by 2025 with a view to strengthening its gas supply business.
The Air Water Group will integrate two business domains, namely gases for semiconductor manufacturing and chemicals, to offer the many different technologies, goods and services that it holds to the digital sector, which is growing an an accelerating pace. In so doing, it will aim to cement its position as a general semiconductor-related manufacturer. Under this business policy, AW Materials will harness its global network to deal with a broad range of chemical products for the electronics sector, including high purity chemicals, electrical insulating materials and resin molded products, in an effort to build closer ties with semiconductor manufacturers.
In alliance with Mitsui & Co., Ltd, the Air Water Group will, through this investment, take advantage of HK's network of customers to bolster proposals on semiconductor-related gases, specialty chemical materials, gas refining systems and other peripheral solutions to semiconductor manufacturers working to increase production in Taiwan and other regions.
2. Investment
(1) Investor: Air Water Materials Inc.
(2) Date of investment: April 8, 2022
(3) Amount of investment: 62.5 million New Taiwan dollars (approximately 250 million Japanese yen)* Shareholding ratio after investment: 21.9% (ratio of voting rights)
3. Overview of HK
(1) Official name: Hong-Kuang Hi-Tech Co., Ltd.
(2) Year of establishment: 2010
(3) Representative: Ben Chang, General Manager
(4) Head office location: 5F-2, No. 76, Sec. 2, Jiafeng S.Bd., Zhubei City, Taiwan
(5) Capital: 55 million New Taiwan dollars (approximately 200 million Japanese yen)
(6) Business: Sales of special gases for the electronics industry
4. (Reference) Overview of Air Water Materials Inc.
(1) Date of establishment: August 1, 2003 (Foundation in 1661)
(2) Representative: Kazuyuki Tomoto, President
(3) Head office location: 2-13-7 Hamamatsucho, Minato-ku, Tokyo
(4) Capital: 150 million yen
(5) Business: Domestic sales and export and import of the following items
(i)Electrical insulating materials (ii)Materials and parts for electric and electronic equipment (iii)Machinery tools and system products (iv)Materials and parts for chemical engineering (v)Industrial che micals (vi)High-pressure gas (vii)Food additives (viii)Various industrial materials and packaging materials
(6) Shareholder: Air Water Inc. (with a stake of 99.8%)
[Contact for inquiries]
AIR WATER INC.: Office of Corporate Communications, E-mail: info-h@awi.co.jp
