Nippon Light Metal Holdings Company, Ltd.

History

History of Nippon Light Metal

Period Prior to the Company's Establishment
1899 Nasu Aluminium Instrument Factory, an aluminum instrument manufacturer later to be known as Nikkei Aluminium, started business.
1918 Osaka Aluminium Factory, an aluminum instrument manufacturer later to be known as Nikkei Aluminium, started business.
1931 Sumitomo Aluminium Co., Ltd. (currently Toyo Aluminium K.K.) was established.
1934 Special Light Alloy Co., Ltd., a light alloy sheet rolling manufacturer later to be known as Nikkei Aluminium Rolling Company Ltd., was established.
1937 The Shizuoka Plant of Riken Foundation (currently Riken Light Metal Industry Company, Ltd.) started business.
1938 The Sakai Plant of Osaka Aluminium (the predecessor of current Osaka Center) started operation.
First Establishment Phase
1939 Nippon Light Metal Co., Ltd., was incorporated jointly by Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd., and Tokyo Dento (currently TEPCO) to start the aluminum smelting.
1940 NLM commenced aluminum smelting at Kambara Plant (currently Group Casting Center). The Inazawa Plant of Special Light Alloy Co., Ltd. (currently the Nagoya Plant of the Company) started operation.
1941 NLM started aluminum smelting at the former Niigata Plant. NLM started alumina production at Shimizu Plant.
1943 Hokuriku Light Metal Industry, Ltd. (later to be known as Hokusei Aluminium; currently Shin Nikkei Co., Ltd.) was established.
1945 Stopped aluminum production following the end of war.
Nippon Electrode Co., Ltd., was established.
1948 The Shimizu Plant and Kambara Plant started production following the resumption of bauxite import. Aluminum secondary alloy manufacturer Taishin Yoko Co., Ltd. (later to be known as Taishin Light Metal Co., Ltd.) was established.
1949 Kowa Shokai Co., Ltd., (currently Nikkei Sangyo Co., Ltd.) was established.
1950 Yurin Kogyo Co., Ltd., (currently Nikkei Shoji Co., Ltd.) was established.
Second Establishment Phase and Expansion Phase
1952 NLM established capital and technology cooperation with Aluminium Limited (currently Rio Tinto Alcan Inc.) of Canada.
1958 The ceramic and aluminum sulfate divisions of the Shimizu Plant spun off to establish Nikkei Kako Co., Ltd., (currently the Chemicals Division of the Company). The former Niigata Plant resumed production.
1959 NLM participated in management of Osaka Aluminium Seisakusho Co., Ltd.
1961 Nippon Light Metal Research Laboratory, Ltd., (later to be known as Nikkei Techno-Research Co., Ltd.; currently Nikkei Research and Development Center) was established.
1962 Nikkei Building (former headquarters building) completed in Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo.
1963 NLM established technical ties with US-based Fruehauf International Limited. Nippon Fruehauf Co., Ltd., was established.
1964 The Funabashi Plant of Nikkei Aluminium (currently the Funabashi Plant of the Company and the Funabashi Plant of Shin Nikkei Co., Ltd.) started operation.
1969 The Tomakomai Electrolytic Plant started operation.
1970 Kota Alloy Casting Factory (currently the Kota Plant) started operation The Shiga Plant of Osaka Aluminium (currently the Shiga Plant of the Company) started operation.
1972 The Tomakomai Alumina Plant started operation. NLM formed alliance with US-based National Can and established Japan National Can Co., Ltd.
1973 Kansai Aluminium Alloy Co., Ltd., (later to be known as Daishin Light Metal; currently the Mie Plant of the Company) started operation. Nikkal Extrusion Co., Ltd., (currently the Kambara Extrusion Plant of the Company) started operation. Hikari Co., Ltd., (currently Nikkei Extrusions Company, Ltd.) was established. Yamagata Aluminium Co., Ltd., (currently Nikkei Extrusions Company, Ltd.) was established.
Fabrication Business Expansion Phase
1974 NLM merged with Nikkei Aluminium Co., Ltd., and inherited the sales business of Nikkei Aluminium Rolling Company Ltd. to form a total aluminum business system. NLM and Alcan jointly established Alpack Aluminium in Canada.
1977 Nikkei Hokusei House Building Materials Co., Ltd., (currently Shin Nikkei Co., Ltd.) was established.
1978 The Shizuoka Plant of Daishin Light Metal Co., Ltd., (currently the Kambara Alloy Plant of the Company) started operation. NLM merged with Nikkei Aluminium Rolling Company Ltd. Nikkei Unyu Soko Co., Ltd., (currently Nikkei Logistics Co., Ltd.) was established.
1979 NLM won an order for an aluminum smelting plant in China (the Guizhou Province Plant).
1980 The former Niigata Plant discontinued operation and disposed its electrolytic equipment (by way of sale to Alsaf in South Africa).
1982 The Kambara Casting and Forging Plant (formerly the Kambara Wheel Plant) started operation. The Niigata East Port Plant (currently the Niigata Plant) started operation as aluminum extrusion plant.
1983 NLM sold the headquarters building in Ginza. Nikkei Tomakomai Co., Ltd., was established, to which NLM transferred the operations of the Tomakomai Plant except for the electrolytic division. The Computer Systems Division is spun off and reestablished as Nikkei Information System Co., Ltd.
1984 NLM moved the headquarters to Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo. NLM consolidated the Group's building material businesses to establish Shin Nikkei Co., Ltd.
1985 The MD Tomakomai Plant started operation. The Tomakomai Electrolytic Plant discontinued operation. Nikkaru Extrusion Co., Ltd., (currently Nikkei Kambara Co., Ltd.) was integrated into NLM.
1986 The alumina chemical sales operations of Nikkei Kako Co., Ltd., and Nikkei Shoji Co., Ltd., were unified to form the Alumina Chemicals Division The Tomakomai Alumina Plant discontinued operation. The Sales Division of NLM Construction Material department was integrated into Shin Nikkei Co., Ltd. Nonfemet International Aluminium Co., Ltd., was established in Shenzhen, China. NLM spun off the Cold Energy System Sales Division to establish Nikkei Cold Energy Co., Ltd., (currently the Panel System Division of the Company). NLM commenced operations at Kambara Capacitor Foil Plant.
1987 NLM formed alliance with US-based Modine. Nikkei Heat Exchanger Co., Ltd., was established.
1988 The Kambara Heat Exchanger Plant started operation. NLM acquired capital in Alcan Thailand (currently Alcan Nikkei Thailand). NLM merged with Shin Nikkei Co., Ltd., and Hokusei Aluminium Co., Ltd.
1989 NLM merged with Nikkei Kako Co., Ltd., and Nikkei Tomakomai Co., Ltd.
1990 The Saga Plant started operation.
1991 NLM merged with Taishin Light Metal Co., Ltd.
1992 NLM merged with Alcan Asean Co., Ltd. NLM acquired a controlling interest of Aluminium Company of Malaysia (known as ALCOM for short) and Alcan Siam (currently Alcan Nikkei Siam Ltd.).
1993 NLM bought into Amalgamated Aluminium and Alloys in Malaysia (aluminum alloy business). NLM merged with Nikkei Cold Energy Co., Ltd., (currently the Panel System Division of the Company).
1995 NLM merged with Nikkei Techno-Research Co., Ltd. Nikkei Research and Development Center (NRDC) was established.
1996 NLM headquarters moved to Higashi-shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo. NLM Group consolidated aluminum consumer products sales divisions to establish Nikkei Products Co., Ltd. NLM bought into Toyo Aluminium K.K. NLM transferred the building material division of the Funabashi Plant to Shin Nikkei Co., Ltd. NLM joined Alcan to establish Alcan Nikkei Asia Holdings Ltd. (ANAH) and Alcan Nikkei Asia Company, Ltd. (ANAC), which oversee the companies in the South Asian region.
1997 The Kambara Wheel Plant discontinued operation.
1999 The Kambara Alloy Plant discontinued operation. Plant operations were consolidated and restructured to Kota Plant and Mie Plant. NLM joined Daiki Aluminum Industry Co., Ltd., to establish Daiki Nikkei Thai Co., Ltd., for production and sales of aluminum alloys in Thailand. NLM merged with Toyo Aluminium K.K. Toyo Aluminium Central Office was established.
2000 Nikkei Shoji Co., Ltd., was integrated into Nikkei Sangyo Co., Ltd. The MD Tomakomai Plant discontinued operation. The Memory Disc Substrate Division was disbanded. NLM spun off the Landscape Engineering Division to establish Sumikei Nikkei Engineering Co., Ltd. (now Nikkei Engineering Co., Ltd.), in cooperation with Sumitomo Light Metal Industries, Ltd., and merged department with it. NLM made Shin Nikkei Co., Ltd., a 100% subsidiary.
2001 NLM abolished the central office system. The Commercialization Strategy Project Office was established. The NLM Communication Mark was established.
2002 NLM spun off the Panel System Division to establish Nikkei Panel System Co., Ltd. NLM spun off the Extrusion Division and Sheet & Extrusion Fabricated Products Division (excluding the container division) to establish Nikkeikin Aluminium Core Technology Co., Ltd. Toyal Division was integrated into Toyo Aluminium K.K.
2003 NLM established Alcan Nikkei Siam Ltd. (currently Nikkei Siam Aluminium Ltd.) as a consolidated subsidiary.
2004 NLM entered into a partnership with Nonfemet International Aluminium Co., Ltd., to establish NI Nikkei Shenzhen Co., Ltd., a company fabricating and selling aluminum extrusions for automobile parts.
2005 NLM made Tokai Aluminum Foil Co., Ltd., a subsidiary. NLM bought into M.C Aluminum (Kunshan) Co., Ltd., an aluminum secondary alloy manufacturing subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation in China. M.C Nikkei Aluminum (Kunshan) Co., Ltd., (currently Nikkei MC Aluminum (Kunshan) Co., Ltd.) was established.
2007 Nikkei MC Aluminium Co., Ltd., was established and became a subsidiary of the Company as a result of the integration of the Company's operations for aluminum alloys for casting and die casting with M.C. Aluminum Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corp. Toyo Aluminium K.K. established Toyo Zhaoging Co., Ltd., in Zhaoging, China. NLM made Tokai Aluminum Foil Co., Ltd., a 100% subsidiary and transferred all shares in Tokai Aluminum Foil to Toyo Aluminium K.K.
2008 Nikkei (Shanghai) Body Parts Co., Ltd., was established in Shanghai, China.
2010 NLM transferred all shares of Shin Nikkei Co., Ltd., to the JS Group Corporation. Nikkei (Shanghai) International Trading Co., Ltd., was established in Shanghai, China.
2011 NLM established an intermediary stock holding company, Nikkeikin Kakoh Kaihatsu Holdings Co., Ltd., which controls the Group's extrusion and extrusion processing businesses.
2012 Nippon Light Metal Holdings Co., Ltd., a pure holding company, was established.
2014 Nippon Light Metal Co., Ltd., discontinued its electrolytic aluminum smelting business.
2015 NLM makes Toyo Rikagaku Kenkyusho, Ltd. a subsidiary.
2016 Toyo Aluminium K.K. establishes Toyal MMP India Private Limited in India.
2018 NLM makes Sumikei Nikkei Engineering Co., Ltd. (now Nikkei Engineering Co., Ltd.) a consolidated subsidiary.
2019 NLM makes Nikkei Heat Exchanger Co., Ltd. a subsidiary.
2019 NLM transfers its headquarters to Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo.