- TOP
- Corporate Overview
- History
History
Story of the NLM Group
In 1939, Nippon Light Metal Co., Ltd. (NLM), was jointly incorporated by Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd., and Tokyo Dento (currently TEPCO) as an aluminum smelting company.
In 1949, NLM became the first non-ferrous metal manufacturer to be listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and grew on the wave of rising aluminum demand during Japan's period of rapid economic growth.
In the wake of the two oil shocks after 1973, domestic aluminum smelting companies withdrew from the business one after another. This was because aluminum required a large amount of electricity for smelting (hence the expression "electricity can"), and the rise in electricity cost was a major blow to the industry. NLM, which had its own hydroelectric power plant, was the only company in Japan able to continue the smelting business, but its production of aluminum ingots was inevitably subject to major cuts. In order to overcome these harsh economic circumstances, NLM changed its business model from that of a smelting-only manufacturer, integrated with Nikkei Aluminium Rolling Company Ltd. and Nikkei Aluminium Co., Ltd., and accelerated its development of an all-encompassing aluminum business system from smelting to processing.
In 1990, to further strengthen this business system, we pursued mergers, capital alliances, and other measures to develop the NLM Group. After the year 2000, NLM shifted overseas expansion into high gear, with expansion into China, Southeast Asia, and North America. In 2012, Nippon Light Metal Holdings Co., Ltd., was established as a pure holdings company, overseeing the NLM Group. In 2014, its domestic aluminum smelting business, the only one of its kind in Japan, regrettably closed its operations. Based on our aluminum expertise and technology as a total solutions supplier of aluminum, NLM will contribute to the development of society and protection of the global environment.
In 2019, we relocated the office of Nippon Light Metal Holdings Co., Ltd., to Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, with the aim of allowing the NLM Group to continue creating new value for our customers by facilitating group communication and collaboration.
Chronology of Nippon Light Metal
| Period Prior to the Company's Establishment | |
|---|---|
| 1903 | 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 Kambara Complex). The Inazawa Plant of Special Light Alloy Co., Ltd. (currently the Nagoya Plant) started operation. |
| 1941 | NLM started aluminum smelting at the former Niigata Plant. NLM started alumina production at Shimizu Plant. |
| 1944 | Hokuriku Light Metal Industry, Ltd. (later to be known as Hokusei Aluminium) 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., (later to be known as Nikkei Shoji Co., Ltd.; currently Nikkei Sangyo 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). The former Niigata Plant resumed production. |
| 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) 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) started operation. |
| 1971 | Nikkei Aluminium merged with Osaka Aluminium |
| 1972 | The Tomakomai Alumina Plant started operation. |
| 1973 | Kansai Aluminium Alloy Co., Ltd., (later to be known as Daishin Light Metal; currently the Mie Plant) started operation. Nikkal Extrusion Co., Ltd., (currently the Kambara Extrusion Plant) started operation. Hikari 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 | 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 Niigata East Port Plant (currently the Niigata Plant) started operation as aluminum extrusion plant. |
| 1983 | NLM sold the former 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 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. 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. |
| 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.). NLM bought into Matsuo Kogyo Co., Ltd. (currently Nikkei Matsuo Co., Ltd.) ※確認中 |
| 1993 | 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. |
| 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. NLM and Alcan ended their capital partnership. |
| 2000 | Nikkei Shoji Co., Ltd., was integrated into Nikkei Sangyo Co., Ltd. The Memory Disc Substrate Division was disbanded. NLM spun off the Landscape Engineering Division to establish Sumikei Nikkei Engineering Co., Ltd. (currently Nikkei Engineering Co., Ltd.), in cooperation with Sumitomo Light Metal Industries, Ltd., (currently UACJ Corporation), and merged department with it. NLM made Shin Nikkei Co., Ltd., a 100% subsidiary. NLM adopted the officer system. |
| 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. |
| Overseas Business Development Phase | |
|---|---|
| 2003 | NLM established Alcan Nikkei Siam Ltd. (currently Nikkei Siam Aluminium Ltd.) as a consolidated subsidiary. NLM introduced FLEXCASTER(Continuous Casting Machine for sheet) |
| 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. NLM withdrew from aluminum consumer products |
| 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. Nippon Fruehauf established Shandong Conglin Fruehauf Automobile Co., Ltd. in Longkou, China |
| 2012 | Nippon Light Metal Holdings Co., Ltd., a pure holding company, was established. Nikkeikin ACT established Shandong Nikkei Conglin Automotive Parts Co., Ltd. In Longkou, China and Changchun Nikkei Railway Vehicle Equipment Co., Ltd. In Changchun, China. Nikkei MC Aluminium established CMR Nikkei India Private Ltd. in India. Shimizu Plant has finished using bauxite (it has completed the conversion to aluminum hydroxide). |
| 2013 | Nikkei MC Aluminium established Ｔ．Ｓ．Ｔ．ＮＩＫＫＥＩ ＭＥＴＡＬＥＳ Ｓ．ｄｅ Ｒ．Ｌ． ｄｅ Ｃ．Ｖ． In Mexico |
| 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. (currently Nikkei Engineering Co., Ltd.) a consolidated subsidiary. |
| 2019 | NLM makes Nikkei Heat Exchanger Co., Ltd. a subsidiary. |
| Nippon Light Metal Georgia, Inc. is established in the United States. | |
| NLM transfers its headquarters to Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo. | |
| 2023 | NLM Group's automotive parts business was integrated and a new company, Nikkeikin Aluminum for Mobility Co., Ltd., was established. |
| 2024 | We aim to transform an organizational structure into business groups and functional organizations that enable us to work further together as "Team NLM". |