Tosoh Bioscience begins to produce Ca⁺⁺Pure-HA™ in the United States
Grove City, OH – On April 11, 2023, Tosoh Bioscience LLC celebrated the ribbon cutting of its new Ca⁺⁺Pure-HA™ Production Facility in Grove City, Ohio. The opening of this facility offers Tosoh Bioscience the capability to produce Ca⁺⁺Pure-HA™, a hydroxyapatite-based resin, in the United States.
In attendance of the ribbon cutting ceremony, were distinguished representatives from Tosoh Corporation (Japan), Tosoh Bioscience, as well as representatives from the City of Grove City, Ohio, and the Grove City Chamber of Commerce. President Emeritus—Tosoh Corporation, Toshinori Yamamoto, who along with Tatsuji Kushimoto, President—Tosoh Bioscience, traveled from Tokyo, Japan to be in attendance and speak at the ceremony.
Ali Soleymannezhad, Executive Vice President—Tosoh Bioscience, Separations & Purification, opened and led the ceremony, followed by speeches from Mr. Yamamoto and Mr. Kushimoto.
“What you’re about to see is our very first purification resin manufacturing outside Japan. This, for us, is a big milestone… for the very first time, we’re going to introduce purification resins to be shipped on a global basis to all Tosoh Bioscience customers from the United States,” said Mr. Soleymannezhad.
With the introduction of a domestic manufacturing facility, Mr. Soleymannezhad noted that Tosoh Bioscience can meet additional customer demand and improve business continuity in production while working with the Japanese production facilities.
Mr. Yamamoto, who along with Tatsuji Kushimoto, President—Tosoh Bioscience, traveled from Tokyo, Japan to be in attendance and speak at the ceremony, noted, “today, we mark the beginning of a new chapter in Tosoh Bioscience’s growth journey, innovation, and excellence. This state-of-the-art factory will serve as a demonstration of our commitment to quality, productivity, and sustainable development.”
Mr. Kushimoto again highlighted the importance of sustainability, particularly within the facility’s community in Grove City, Ohio.
“As we embark on this new journey in Grove City, Ohio, we are also mindful of our responsibility towards our community and the environment. We will work closely with our employees, local authorities, and other stakeholders to ensure that our operations are sustainable and that we contribute towards the well-being of the community around us.”
Ca⁺⁺Pure-HA™ and Its Usage
Ca⁺⁺Pure-HA™ is a resin used in chromatographic separation of biomolecules, and unlike other resins available from Tosoh Bioscience, possesses a unique inorganic structure/chemistry. It is a versatile and effective material for chromatography, especially for the purification of biomolecules that are difficult to separate using other chromatography methods. Its unique surface chemistry and high porosity make it a valuable tool in biochemical research and biopharmaceutical manufacturing.
By opening the facility, Nate Evans, Director of Operations—Tosoh Bioscience LLC, noted the domestic production can help ease strains on supply that the COVID pandemic has affected the past few years.
Celebrations Capped with Kagami-biraki Ceremony
While the opening of the facility and quality were a focus of the day’s events, a unique highlight, and precursor to the actual ribbon cutting, stole some of the spotlight. Attendees watched and participated in a traditional Japanese kagami-biraki ceremony.
Mr. Kushimoto introduced and explained the ceremony, before himself taking part in it.
“Kagami-biraki is a ceremony performed at celebratory events in which the lid of the sake barrel is broken open by a wooden mallet and the sake is served to everyone present,” said Mr. Kushimoto.
“Kagami refers to the lid of the sake barrel and biraki means ‘to open’ so kagami-biraki literally means ‘opening the lid.’ Because of the lid’s round shape, the kagami is a symbol of harmony. The kagami-biraki, therefore, represents an opening to harmony and good fortune.”
The leadership team of Mr. Yamamoto, Mr. Kushimoto, and Mr. Soleymannezhad were joined by Tosoh Bioscience board members Jan Top (President, Tosoh America), and Kousuke Araki (President, Tosoh Bioscience – Separations & Purification), adorned in traditional happi robes, to perform the kagami-biraki.
Together wielding wooden mallets, they struck the lid, splashing themselves with sake, joined by laughter and applause from the nearly eighty attendees watching. The team then took the time to ladle sake into ceremonial cups for those in attendance, followed by a group toast of “kampai.”
The same leadership group then cut the red ribbon and formally opened the production facility.
TOSOH BIOSCIENCE LLC
Tosoh Bioscience LLC provides liquid chromatography products to laboratories and manufacturing plants in the Americas. While the majority of our customers work in biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, our U/HPLC columns and systems are essential tools for sample analysis in most industries. The LenS™3 Multi-Angle Light Scattering Detector offers a revolutionary approach for the measurement of molecular weight (MW) and radius of gyration (Rg) of synthetic polymers, polysaccharides, proteins, and biopolymers. Our all-in-one dedicated GPC system, the EcoSEC Elite® GPC System, is predominantly used in the chemical and polymer industries, while our EcoSEC High-Temperature GPC System is ideal for the polyolefin and oil industries. In the field of biotechnology, our preparative chromatography resins TOYOPEARL® and TSKgel® play a critical role in the purification of proteins and nucleic acids for medical purposes. Our customers rely on our SkillPak™ columns pre-packed with those resins for fast and efficient development of purification methods.
The company is a subsidiary of Tosoh Corporation in Japan, the parent of the Tosoh Group, which comprises over 100 companies worldwide and a multiethnic workforce of over 13,600 people and generated net sales of ¥918.6 billion (US $8.2 billion at the average rate of ¥112.4 to the US dollar) in fiscal 2022, ended March 31, 2022. Tosoh’s Bioscience Division comprises products and solutions for both separation and purification and clinical diagnostics serving customers worldwide.
Tosoh Bioscience, EcoSEC, EcoSEC Elite, TOYOPEARL, and TSKgel are registered trademarks of Tosoh Corporation.
LenS and SkillPak are trademarks of Tosoh Bioscience LLC.