August/September Business View Magazine

28 29 TOKAI CARBON GE LLC A GREAT COMBINATION Tokai Carbon GE LLC AT A GLANCE TOKAI CARBON GE LLC WHAT: A manufacturer of graphite electrodes for the steel industry WHERE: Charlotte, North Carolina WEBSITE: www.tokaicarbon.com T okai Carbon Co., Ltd. the parent com- pany of Tokai Carbon GE LLC, based in Charlotte, North Carolina, was founded in 1918 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Tokai Carbon Co. manufactures and sells carbon-related products, including carbon black, which is used as a reinforcing agent of industrial rubber products; graphite electrodes for use in the electric arc furnaces that produce steel; and fine carbon products for use in the semiconductor, nonferrous metals, ceramics, and high precision machinery industries. Tokai Carbon GE LLC was formerly a subsidiary of SGL Group, headquartered in Germany, and spe- cialized in the U.S. graphite electrode market. “SGL Group sold its global graphite electrode division to Showa Denko (a leading Japanese chemical