A Timeless International Leader
An ever-evolving story of growth - from Japan to the wider world -
for the sake of our beautiful planet's future and the people who inhabit it.
Discover the history of Kuriyama from its establishment in 1938 up to the present day.
Kuriyama is born as a wholesaler of rubber products in Osaka.
Yoshio Kuriyama, an entrepreneur, founds the company. Buoyed by the trust of business partners and driven by his enthusiasm for pioneering untapped markets, Kuriyama expands his business in Japan and overseas.
Kuriyama Rubber Co., Ltd. is established.
Kuriyama globalizes its operations by launching an import and export business.
The company begins exporting and selling rubber and plastic products to overseas customers. At the same time, it identifies exceptional overseas products and enters into distributorship agreements with multiple overseas manufacturers so that it can import and sell them in Japan.
Kuriyama enters into a sales and application agreement with UK manufacturer Dunlop for Semtex, a paint-on flooring material for steel plates on ships.
The company enters into a sales distributorship agreement covering hose bands with Swedish manufacturer ABA Bolagen.
The company enters into a sales distributorship agreement covering cork tiles and other products with Swedish manufacturer Wicanders.
Ohji Rubber & Chemicals Co., Ltd. is established. The new company starts manufacturing industrial-use rubber products in Japan.
The local subsidiary Kuriyama of America Inc. is established in Chicago.
The new company mounts a concerted effort to develop overseas markets using the USA as a base of operations.
Kuriyama starts manufacturing hoses in the USA as it grows as a North American hose manufacturer.
Tigerflex Corporation is established in Illinois, USA, manufacturing plastic hoses. In 1984, Kuriyama Canada, Inc. is established as a local subsidiary in Brantford, Canada. The new company starts manufacturing and selling plastic hoses, and subsequently expands its hose manufacturing and sales facilities through a series of acquisitions of hose manufacturers.
Leveraging a global standard of competitive performance and safety, the company expands into the Japanese sports facility market.
Kuriyama brings innovation to the Japanese sports facility market with Taraflex for gymnasiums, which in Japan have conventionally used wood flooring, and Mondotrack, a uniquely shaped rubber product. Both products attract attention for their competitive performance and safety.
The company changes its name to Kuriyama Corporation.
The company starts selling outdoor sports supplies.
Kuriyama expands its dealings with overseas outdoor brands, which it had been importing and selling in connection with the European sports flooring materials it offers. In 1991, Kuriyama begins selling outdoor mountain-climbing products and sports apparel.
The company enters the Asian market as a global Tier1 supplier to construction and agricultural machinery manufacturers.
Kuriyama (Shanghai) Corporation is established in 1996 to accommodate the move into overseas markets by the Japanese construction and agricultural machinery manufacturers it serves. Kuriyama Thailand Co., Ltd. is established later in 2012.
The company is listed on the Second Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
Kuriyama flourishes as a flooring materials manufacturer by developing original products.
Moving beyond its existing businesses in building materials from Japanese manufacturers and imported flooring materials, Kuriyama Japan marks the beginning of the 21st century by launching a slate of original-brand products it developed for the building material market. IR (Foshan) Building Materials Trading Co., Ltd. is established in China in 2007. The company establishes a system that allows it to operate as a fabless manufacturer by putting in place stringent quality control standards for its house-brand products. It offers a broad range of products for large commercial facilities such as department stores, train stations, and other private- and public-sector sites.
The company transitions to a holding company structure.
The company changes its name to Kuriyama Holdings Corporation.
Embracing the new field as a golden opportunity, the company begins manufacturing urea SCR systems and sensors.
Kuriyama acquires SUN-A Corporation, which develops, manufactures, and sells urea quality sensors and other types of sensors. The company moves to strengthen its unique characteristics as a manufacturer in the industrial product business.
Kuriyama expands its hose business's global operations to Europe and South America. It moves to maximize synergies with its North American hose business.
The company acquires the TIPSA Group, which operates layflat hose manufacturing and sales facilities in Spain and Argentina. The holding company Kuriyama Europe Cooperatief U.A. is established in the Netherlands. The new company launches a European and South American business. Kuriyama seeks to maximize synergies with its North American industrial hose business and to expand its hose business's global scope.
Gazing towards the future of Kuriyama Group, the company builds a new office building in Osaka where the old head office building used to be, as well as a new company-owned building in Nagasaki.
Kuriyama builds a new office building where the old head office used to be and set it up as the Shin-Osaka Regional Office. The old head office building had been one of the major bases of its Japanese domestic business for nearly 50 years. Furthermore, Kuriyama Japan Corporation rebuilds Nagasaki Sales & Contracting Office, making it a company-owned office and rental building for the purpose of increasing productivity and profitability by improving the office environment. Kuriyama Group aims for new value creation and further growth of its Japanese domestic business.
Kuriyama Australia Pty Ltd. is established as a core operating company in Australia. The hose business enters the Oceania market.
Kuriyama R&D Inc. is established in Japan to conduct a comprehensive range of research and development work with a view towards the Kuriyama Group's future.
By bringing technologies, intellectual property, and human resources that had been scattered across multiple Group companies in Japan and overseas together at this new company, the Group is looking to accelerating next-generation development.
Kuriyama's history is characterized by product and technology innovation, global expansion and business diversification. And at every point along the way, we have wholeheartedly and consistently sought to meet the needs of our customers and to contribute to society. Our mission is, and has always been, to be worthy of the trust that has been invested in us. As we look towards the next 100 years, we want to capitalize on this trust to allow us to continue filling Kuriyama's story with accomplishments that provide new value on a global scale and contribute to the creation of a more sustainable society.
