Ube Industries

Ube is group made up of some 140 companies that cover a diverse range of business activities, including many companies that are industries.

Ube Industries has a history tracing back to the turn of the 19th century with the founding of the Okinoyama Coal Mine in Yamaguchi Prefecture. The coal development project was started as a silent partnership by local investors in what was then a small community. Driven by founder Sukesaku Watanabe's vision of 'creating industries with infinite possibilities from the finite resources of coal, to bring long-term prosperity to communities,' the people of Ube Industries continued expanding into new business areas to meet the needs of society. The machinery business evolved from manufacturing and servicing machinery used in coal mining, and the cement business leveraged coal resources in the Ube area and widely available limestone and spoil (overburden) from coal mining in the surrounding region. The chemicals business evolved from using coal raw material to manufacture ammonium sulfate for fertilizer. These three businesses form the cornerstones of the Ube Group today. The pioneering spirit of UBE that has existed for more than a century is carried on today through operations in Chiba and Sakai, Japan, and extending to international operations encompassing Spain and Thailand. Their founder, Sukesaku Watanabe, embraced the ideals of coexistence and mutual prosperity to achieve corporate growth that brings prosperity to communities. These ideals drive UBE as They continue to meet the challenges of the 21st century.