Iwatani is going to expand the sales of specialty gases in the US. Utilizing California Branch of Iwatani of America which was established in October 2018, Iwatani will start to produce and sell specialty gases to semiconductor manufacturers in Silicon Valley from 2019.

For the logistics of gases Iwatani will use a distribution center to be built near its California Branch. The specialty gases to handle will mainly include chlorine trifluoride（ClF3）but Iwatani is planning to increase the lineup of gases while approaching the other specialty gas producers for their use of the center.

　For the reinforcement of the specialty gas business, company is taking two parallel ways, one for the enrichment of its business lineup of categories and the other for fixing the logistic system simultaneously. As for the business categories, they started to produce and sell deuterium from June 2018, and began to deliver it to some memory manufacturers. Upon obtaining the approval of export, they are planning to expand the sales mainly to Korea, Taiwan and Singapore. Iwatani has been implementing to set up bases of the important logistic system for its worldwide deployment especially since 2017. Before then, they had developed specialty gas distribution centers in Wuhan, China (jointly managed by Shanghai Iwatani and Wuhan Iwatani), Guangzhou, China (managed by Guangzhou Iwatani) and Taichung, Taiwan, in addition to the distribution centers only available in Seoul, Korea and Shanghai, China.
Iwatani is enhancing steadily a specialty gas sales network by the planned completion of a new warehouse to store CIF3 and ammonia in Jurong Plant of Iwatani Singapore within 2019.

What is being done in the US is also a part of such a movement to reinforce Iwatani’s sales network.

In October 2018, Iwatani of America established its California Branch in San Jose which is located geographically close to Silicon Valley where various semiconductor manufacturers have their bases. Iwatani is planning to reinforce the sales of specialty gases in the state of California making the most of the branch.

The new base mainly deals with CIF3. Iwatani describes the function, “It is important to enrich the lineup of specialty gases as well as to establish a logistic base. To this end we are suggesting the use of our new base to all the domestic specialty gas producers.” For the Japanese manufacturers who have not been able to build up any sales base in the States it would be a good chance to enable their direct sales to users with the proposed local logistic service. It also would lead to an enhanced lineup of specialty gases at the same base of Iwatani.

For the promotion of the local activities, they take into account supports using human resources such as the local attendance to visitors by the Japanese staff-members stationing there which may well include accompanying to their customers. The new base will be put in operation from 2019 as soon as the inventory has been prepared for sales activities.

LPG Center Stores SPGs to empower beyond divisions
　
Iwatani also starts a new attempt at home, namely the management and distribution of SP gases taking advantage of the distribution bases of LP gas.
In Kitagami City of Iwate, Toshiba Memory is constructing a new plant named “Toshiba Memory Iwate.” To establish a sales route of specialty gases from the vicinity of the plant, Sendai Branch decided to build up a new store of specialty gases in Morioka LPG center.

Iwatani is now endeavoring in general to make a cross-functional deployment between divisions, and the attempt at this time beyond the barrier of LPG and specialty gases is expected to be a good example. 　
　　　
Despite no detail disclosed about the storing capacity or the type of gas, the new store will be completed in August 2019 and the center will be managed by Iwatani’s subsidiary Home Energy Tohoku.