Shigematsu Company, Ltd. started its business operations in 1916 as atrading company. Since its inception, the company has been engagedmainly in import and sale of chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Thecompany went through a number of challenges brought about by the TwoWorld Wars and other drastic changes of economic environment. In 1967,the company opened its representative office in Hamburg. Germany witha view to expanding company's business smoothly. The company's development can be seen by tracing its two major lines ofbusiness. Firstly, in the chemical field, the company concluded anagreement on the sole agency in Japan i