We are pleased to inform you that ASTOM Corporation, the Ion Exchange Membrane manufacturer and a jointed company of Tokuyama Corporation and Asahi Chemical Industry CO.,Ltd. founded in 1995, has restarted as the general production company of hydrocarbon ion exchange membrane and electrodialyzer integrated with all business activities, including R&D, production, and Sales & Marketing of both parent companies on January 1st 2004. We would like to express our deep gratitude to customers who have supported us.

Since having been developed in 1950, the ion exchange membrane associated business that has grown with the table salt manufacturing enterprise in Japan, has extended the application in many industrial fields such as conventional treatment processing of food, water, pharmaceutical products, and various waste effluents. Now, the ion exchange membrane, the core technology of ASTOM Corporation, has been evaluated as the top level of the world.

"Worldwide environmental preservation" is one of themes symbolizing culture of the 21st Century and many interests are being concentrated to this theme. The ion exchange membrane technology is becoming the highly useful and efficient ones not only in industrial wastewater treatment, but also in desalination of leachate, removal of nitrate ion from underground water, cattle sewage treatment, soil hardening, purification of organic acid for biodegradable polymer, etc.

We will concentrate the activities of both parent companies for application of ion exchange membrane and electrodialysis technology, and provide the customers with more satisfactory technology. Guidance and encouragement will be appreciated more than before.

President
Yoshio Tani