Asahi Glass Co.
The Japanese company Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.. (Japanese旭硝子 株式会社, Asahi garasu Kabushiki - gaisha ) or AGC called for short, listed in the Nikkei 225, is a manufacturer of glass. It is one of the companies of the former Mitsubishi Group.
The main branches of the company are:
- Glass for automobiles and industrial materials
- Biotechnology and their research
- Performance chemicals, among other things, Asahi Fluoropolymers forth as ETFE laminates (known for its use in the Allianz Arena in Munich)
- Display Glass
- Materials of electronics
- Optical products and telecommunication products
Corporate investments
- Asahi Fiber Glass Co. Ltd..
- Asahi Techno Glass Corp..
- Ise Chemical Industries Co., Ltd.
- Interpane AG Germany
History
The company was founded in 1907 by Toshiya Iwasaki, the second son of the second President of the Mitsubishi Zaibatsu. The company was the first Japanese manufacturer of flat glass. 1988 they founded together with Corning joint venture Corning Asahi for the production of picture tubes for the North American market.
Conviction for price fixing in 2007
In November 2007 the European Union imposed by EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes against the company a fine of 65 million euros. Asahi was involved in an international cartel with the company Guardian Industries of the United States, Pilkington UK and Saint Gobain of France, who had taken illegal price fixing. Because the company Asahi cooperated with the Commission, whose penance was reduced to 65 million euros.
Conviction for price fixing in 2011
In October 2011, the company was convicted of illegal price-fixing agreements in the period from 1999 to 2004 by the EU, together with Nippon Electric, Schott AG and Samsung Corning Precision Materials, to a total amount of 128.7 million euros. The cartel had the prices of CRT glass for televisions and computer screens discussed. Samsung Corning Precision Materials remained of a sentence spared as the company had reported the violations to the Commission.