Our Founder
The Founder Who Persevered During Tough Times: Eimatsu Kotone
Eimatsu Kotone was born on November 28th, 1894 in Koshino, Fukui Prefecture.
At the age of 17, he left his hometown of Koshino and began his studies at Kobe Academy.
After graduating, he founded his company, Kotone Seisakusho, in 1916. This company specialized in building transport tanks for chemicals such as hydrofluoric and sulfuric acid.
In 1942, Mr. Kotone took over management of Nippon Pneumatic Kogyo as its president.
At the time, thousands of factory workers were forced to work in military designated factories to support the war effort.
After the war, amidst mass confusion and the looming threat of bankruptcy, Mr. Kotone sold his own private possessions to pay his employees’ salaries. Mr. Kotone also had wheat and potatoes cultivated on his own property to feed his employees and their families during the time of food shortage. While supporting the needs of his employees, Mr. Kotone worked to rebuild his business.
Beginning in 1953, business began to pick up pace as the Korean War and the reconstruction of Japan resulted in high demand.
During this time, NPK succeeded in inventing and developing high quality machines.
Early days of Kotone Seisakusho
Military designated factory
Continuing to improve the company, Mr. Kotone focused on research and development as well as human resources.
In the late 1950s, Mr. Kotone sought to partner with researchers from universities and other educational institutions. At the time, many researchers did not have their own research facilities. Mr. Kotone offered his company as a place for researchers to conduct their activities while training NPK’s own engineers.
By 1975, this partnership resulted in 33 patents and utility models, 7 of which were overseas.
Mr. Kotone became interested in philanthropic work as well.
Beginning in 1947 with PTA activities, Mr. Kotone helped to establish organizations such as “House of Hope” and “Sazanka’s House”; employment training centers for the physically challenged.
Mr. Kotone then turned his focus overseas
As NPK’s products gained recognition in the late 1950s and early 1960s, Mr. Kotone traveled overseas to establish dealer networks and sales bases.
Today, NPK has subsidiaries in the United States, Europe, China, and the Middle East. NPK products are used all over the world.
The trust in NPK products today is not something that was gained overnight.
Our founder, by striving towards his hopes and goals with a fighting spirit, built the NPK we know today.
He was a man who believed that his company was an incarnation of himself, built on the ideas of trust and love.
NPK will continue in its endeavors with the spirit of its founder, Eimatsu Kotone.