Summary Japan Corn Starch Co., Ltd. (JCS) is a family-owned business that has been in operation since 1867. Headquartered in Nagoya, JCS currently has a current staff of about 500 persons. In Kimura, the company maintains the most advanced wet milling plant in Japan.

The plant processes 500,000 metric tons of corn starch per year. In addition, JCS operates a starch modification plant. The company is a major supplier of sweeteners for the food industry; its corn starch, corn oil, and by-products are used in the production of paper, textiles, adhesives, building materials, and consumer products.

Highlights

• Japan Corn Starch is the primary supplier of corn starch in Japan.

• JCS has a very active collaboration with Michigan Biotechnology Institute to develop starch derivatives.

• The company's philosophy in the biodegradable polymer field is motivated by the development of new materials with starch, and is not based on replacing existing materials with biodegradable polymers.

• JCS wants to be well-positioned if government regulations provide incentives for using biodegradable polymers. Otherwise, the company feels that the current customer demand for these types of materials is short term.