Corporate Retrospective 2007: Daiso

Daiso Co. was founded in 1915 for the electrolytic production of caustic soda from seawater. The company was set up in Osaka, Japan, and was called the Osaka Soda Company, Ltd.; the name was changed to the Daiso Co. Ltd. in 1988. The business of the Daiso Co. is centered on industrial chemicals that are of primary importance in various large manufacturing industries. Today, the company has 720 employees and overall revenue over ¥50 billion. With 250 international patents and about 450 in Japan, Daiso has a long-term commitment to product innovation. Daiso is one of the world's largest manufacturers of chromatographic-grade spherical silica gel and in order to expand its presence in North America, Daiso has recently set up a direct sales, marketing, and R&D operation for the preparative and process markets in Santa Clara, California.

Daiso provides fixed-bed flanged chromatography columns, slurry packing service, and bulk media.

With the United States focus on the demanding pharmaceutical market, Daiso's media must deliver consistent performance from analytical through prep to process in the development and commercialization of drug substances. For this purpose, a media was introduced in 2006 to specifically address peptide and protein purification. In addition, the company plans to introduce a series of preparative columns in 2007. Daiso's United States business model, based on vertical integration from media manufacturing through column packing to direct sales and marketing, will permit aggressive pricing for products and services.

Congratulations to LCGC North America on their 25th anniversary.

Dr. Franco Spoldi

Dr. Franco Spoldi

VP Business Development

DAISO Fine Chem USA, INC.

Santa Clara, CA