HISTORY
Corporate Development
1904 - 1939
| 1904 | Established Nippon Toki Gomei Kaisha |
|---|---|
| 1905 | Began research and production of high-voltage insulators |
| 1907 | Began production of grinding wheels for in-house use |
| 1912 | Set up a ceramic laboratory within the main factory and began research and production of sanitary ware |
| 1914 | Succeeded in production of the first dinner set in Japan |
| 1915 | Bulk orders for tableware received from the Larkin Company in the USA |
| 1916 | Established Gomei Kaisha Nitto Shokai, a domestic tableware distribution company (renamed to Noritake Tableware Co., Ltd.) |
| 1917 | Sanitary Ware Division spun off to become Toyo Toki Co., Ltd. (today's TOTO LTD.) |
| Established Nippon Toki Kabushiki Kaisha | |
| Nippon Toki Gomei Kaisha was absorbed by Nippon Toki Kabushiki Kaisha | |
| 1919 | The electric insulator division spun off to become NGK INSULATORS, LTD. (today's NGK Corporation) |
| Established OKURA ART CHINA, INC. | |
| 1932 | Began research and production of bone china |
| 1936 | The raw material division spun off to become Kyoritsu Materials Co., Ltd. (today's KCM CORPORATION) |
| 1939 | Began full-scale production of industrial grinding wheels |
1940 - 1969
| 1946 | Established Nippon Bone Light Works Ltd. (today's NORITAKE RECYCLE CENTER CO., LIMITED) |
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| 1947 | Established NORITAKE CO., INC. in the USA (distribution of tableware) (today's NORITAKE U.S.A., INC.) |
| 1957 | Set the company's motto, "Good quality, Export and Co-prosperity" |
| 1958 | Established Noritake Grinding Tools Sales Co., Ltd. (today's ZEN NORITAKE CO., LTD.) |
| Established NORITAKE (AUSTRALIA) PTY. LTD. (distribution of tableware) | |
| 1959 | Invested in Hiroshima KENMA K.K. (production of grinding wheels) |
| 1960 | Began operation of Kamori Plant (production of resinoid grinding wheels) |
| 1962 | Established Noritake Machinery Co., Ltd. (production of grinding machines) |
| 1963 | Established Nippon Coated Abrasive Co., Ltd. (production of coated abrasive) (renamed to NORITAKE COATED ABRASIVE CO., LTD.) |
| 1964 | Began operation of Miyoshi Plant (production of tableware) (today's Miyoshi Site) |
| 1967 | Ise Electronics Corporation developed Vacuum Fluorescent Displays |
| Established Imari Togyo Co., Ltd. (production of tableware) (renamed to Noritake Imari Co., Ltd.) | |
| Established Kyushu Toki Co., Ltd. (production of tableware) (renamed to Noritake Kyuto Co., Ltd.) | |
| Developed printing technology for thick film circuits | |
| 1968 | Established Tokyo Grinding Wheels Co., Ltd. (production of general-purpose grinding wheels) |
| 1969 | Established Kyushu Noritake Co., Ltd. (production of electronic components) |
1970 - 1979
| 1970 | Co-invested with Gifuseito in the establishment of Tono Grinding Co., Ltd. (production of grinding wheels) |
|---|---|
| 1971 | Established Noritake Engineering Co., Ltd. (production of filtration systems) |
| Succeeded in developing the world's first vitrified CBN grinding wheel | |
| 1972 | Established Lanka Porcelain (Private) Limited in Sri Lanka (production of tableware) (today's NORITAKE LANKA PORCELAIN (PVT) LIMITED) |
| 1973 | Established Noritake Diamond Industries Corporation (production of diamond tools) |
| Began production of strengthened porcelain, Primadura | |
| 1974 | Merged with Sherwood Refractories Inc. of the USA to establish Noritake Sherwood Co., Ltd. (production and distribution of ceramic cores) |
| Management participation in Ise Electronics Corporation (production of Vacuum Fluorescent Displays) (today's NORITAKE ITRON CORPORATION) | |
| 1975 | Launched the Noritake Roller Hearth Kiln |
| 1978 | Developed the world's first thick film thermal pen |
| 1979 | Began operation of the Craft Center (production of tableware) |
| Established Noritake Kizai Co., Ltd. (production and distribution of electronic paste and ceramic equipment) |
1980 - 1989
| 1980 | Noritake Diamond Industries Corporation acquired capital in Queen Diamond Co., Ltd. to become a group company (production of diamond dressers) |
|---|---|
| 1981 | Nippon Toki Kabushiki Kaisha was renamed to NORITAKE CO., LIMITED |
| 1983 | Developed far-infrared ceramic heaters |
| 1987 | Established NORITAKE EUROPE GMBH in Germany (distribution of industrial products and electronic components) |
| 1988 | Established NORITAKE TAIPEI CO., LTD. in Taiwan (distribution of chemical engineering equipment) |
| 1989 | Established Miyoshi Ceramics Co., Ltd. (renamed to Noritake Ceramics Co., Ltd.) (production of fine ceramics) |
1990 - 1999
| 1992 | Formed the Environmental Protection Promotion Committee |
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| 1993 | Developed the world's first Rib-Grid Vacuum Fluorescent Display |
| 1995 | Established The Siam Molding Plaster Co., Ltd. in Thailand (production of casting gypsum) (today's NORITAKE SCG PLASTER CO., LTD.) |
| Established PT. NORITAKE INDONESIA (production of ceramic electronic components) | |
| 1996 | Established Noritake (Siam) Co., Ltd. (distribution of casting gypsum and industrial products) |
| 1997 | Established ITRON (U.K.) LIMITED (distribution of Vacuum Fluorescent Displays) |
| 1998 | Established Noritake Dental Supply Co., Limited (distribution of dental materials) (today's KURARAY NORITAKE DENTAL INC.) |
2000 - Present
| 2000 | Consolidated Noritake Imari Co., Ltd. and Noritake Kyuto Co., Ltd. to establish Noritake China Mfg. Co., Limited (production of tableware) |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 51% of KCM CORPORATION was acquired to become a group company (production and distribution of ceramic raw materials and various types of electronic components) |
| Opened Noritake Garden | |
| 2002 | Established the holding company system |
| Established Noritake Bonded Abrasive Co., Limited (production and distribution of grinding wheels) | |
| Established SIAM COATED ABRASIVE CO., LTD. in Thailand (production and distribution of coated abrasive) | |
| 2003 | Acquired 51% share of Toshiba Ceramic Furnace and renamed it to NORITAKE TCF CO., LTD. (production and distribution of industrial furnaces) |
| 2004 | 100th anniversary of foundation |
| Established NORITAKE SHANGHAI TRADING CO., LTD. in China (distribution of industrial products) | |
| 2007 | Launched high-performance firing furnaces for the production process of solar cells |
| 2008 | Launched MAXSUNNY, electrode paste for solar cells |
| 2009 | Noritake Engineering Co., Ltd., Noritake China Mfg. Co., Limited, Noritake Tableware Co., Ltd., and Tokyo Grinding Wheels Co., Ltd. merge with NORITAKE CO., LIMITED |
| 2010 | Noritake Kizai Co., Ltd. and Noritake Ceramics Co., Ltd. merge with NORITAKE CO., LIMITED |
| Establishment of a collective test center for lithium ion batteries and heating equipment for fuel cell materials | |
| 2011 | Noritake Bonded Abrasive Co., Ltd. and Noritake Super Abrasive Co., Ltd. merge with NORITAKE CO., LIMITED |
| Established NORITAKE SA (THAILAND) CO., LTD. (production and distribution of diamond and CBN tools) | |
| 10th anniversary of Noritake Garden | |
| Established NORITAKE ABRASIVE (SUZHOU) CO., LTD. (production of grinding wheels) | |
| 2012 | Made KCM CORPORATION a wholly-owned subsidiary |
| 2014 | Relocated a plant for the production of grinding wheels from headquarter to Miyoshi site. |
| Made NIPPON RESIBON CORPORATION a consolidated subsidiary | |
| 2018 | Made NIHON FUREKI SANGYO Co., Ltd. (today’s NORITAKE MACHINE TECHNO CO., LTD.) a wholly-owned subsidiary |
| 2021 | Made NIPPON RESIBON CORPORATION a wholly-owned subsidiary |
| 2022 | Transitioned to the Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market and the Nagoya Stock Exchange Premier Market |
| Merged NORITAKE COATED ABRASIVE CO., LTD. with NIPPON RESIBON CORPORATION | |
| 2023 | Split and transferred the business of circular sawing cutting machines to NORITAKE MACHINE TECHNO CO., LTD. (absorption-type split) |
| 2024 | 120th anniversary of foundation |
| Renamed the Japanese company name ‘‘株式会社ノリタケカンパニーリミテド’’ to ‘‘ノリタケ株式会社’’ | |
| 2025 | Split and transferred the businesses related to the manufacture and sale of thick film circuit substrates and decalcomania paper, as well as those related to the sale of vacuum fluorescent displays, to NORITAKE ITRON CORPORATION. (absorption-type split) |
