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Zeon Corp

A Japanese chemical maker that produces the synthetic rubbers and specialty plastics used in tires, hoses, and electronics. Founded in 1950 with help from B.F. Goodrich, it was the first company in Japan to mass-produce synthetic rubber, in 1959. Its original name, "Japanese Geon," came from the Goodrich brand for PVC resin — "Geon" blends the Greek words for "earth" and "eon," later respelled to "Zeon."