NOK Corporation Business report FY2006
Business Highlights
In million yen | Mar. 2007 | Mar. 2006 | Rate of Change(%) |
Factors |
Overall | ||||
Sales | 479,815 | 450,630 | 6.5 | - |
Operating income | 41,657 | 45,258 | (8.0) | |
Ordinary income | 45,399 | 49,956 | (9.1) | |
Current net income | 24,793 | 29,445 | (15.8) | |
Sealing product division | ||||
Sales | 213,869 | 199,272 | 7.3 | Sales increased, thanks to increased export volume and greater production volume mainly in North America and Southeast Asia of Japanese brand vehicles that were hot sellers. |
Operating income | 17,466 | 16,026 | 9.0 |
The Company's three-year plan
is to expand operations globally and into the non-automotive or
general industry (GI).
Global: Expand and strengthen production operations and sales
facilities overseas. Overseas sales account for 39.7% of total sales,
up 12.3% from the result three years ago.
GI: Increase sales in the general Industry. Sales in the general
industry accounts for 25.4% of total sales, up 6.3% from the results
three years ago.
Mergers of subsidiaries
The Company announced that it will consolidate its two automotive
and office equipment parts manufacturing subsidiaries, Nitto Kogyo
Corporation and Hokushin Corporation, on April 1. By integrating
the companies which share the same business field, the group intends
to generate synergistic effects and reinforce its business structure.
Nitto Kogyo (Shinagawa-ward, Tokyo), which produces roller parts
for copy machines and printers, will absorb Hokushin Corporation
(Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture), a supplier of precision elastic
components and other products for automotive and other industries.
The name of the new company will be SYNZTEC. (From an article in
the Nikkan Jidosha Shimbun on Jan.13, 2007)
Sale of business
The Company turned over its entire business of pneumatic products
including "F Series" cylinders with high precision guide and
small-sized valves to New-Era Co., Ltd. as of October, 2006. (From
a press release by the company on Oct. 1, 2006)
R&D
< Sealing product division >
-The Company worked on developing low friction products that are effective in saving energy; and products for fuel cell vehicles.
-The Company worked on developing high-value added products, combining automotive brake products and electronic components.
-The Company developed low friction oil seals that have the same performance as conventional seals in terms of sealing but with improved performance in terms of lower friction.
- The Company was successful in commercializing some encoding seals (which use magnetic rubber) used for integrated vehicle control. This includes controlling the vehicle's speed, for example. The Company is currently developing encoders, giving them more precision-level magnetization and greater functions, creating multi-task encoders.
-In the area of fuel-cell parts, the Company developed seals for fuel cells humidification film modules, materials used for gas diffusion layers and other products. It is now testing the products on vehicles.
-The Company worked on developing soft metal gaskets (SMG-type EM guard) and electromagnetic wave seals combined with rubber gaskets (seals and shields).
-The Company developed and commercialized gaskets with FPC, a product combining ultra-small-diameter O rings, flexible printed circuits and gaskets.
Technical cooperation agreement (as of March 2007)
Partner | Content | Signed on |
Freudenberg(Germany) | Introduction and licensing of such seal product as oil seal, O ring and related technologies | Jan. 8th 1989 |
Joint venture agreement (as of March 2007)
Joint venture partner | Content | Name of the joint venture company | Signed on |
Freudenberg GmbH (Germany) | A joint venture in the field of such seal products as oil seal and O ring and related products between NOK Inc, a US subsidiary, and Freudenberg's US subsidiary | Freudenberg NOK GP | March 23, 1989 |
Investment Activities
A total of 49,973 million yen was invested
during FY2006, of which 26,120 million yen was appropriated for
sealing product business.
<Sealing business>
The largest investment made was to reconstruct the Kumamoto Plant
in Japan. Overseas, the Company invested mainly in Thai NOK Co.,
Ltd., Vietnam NOK Co., Ltd. and NOK (Wuxi) Vibracoustic China Co.,
Ltd.
-The Company has decided to make capital investment of a 44 billion
yen level, including 24 billion yen earmarked for increasing production
of auto parts in Japan and abroad for this fiscal year. The company
will not only construct new plants in Vietnam and Singapore, but
also expand production capacity in China and Thailand. In Japan,
it will reconstruct an O-ring manufacturing building at its Kumamoto
Plant at a cost of 4 billion yen, as well as make renovations and
expansions at three plants. NOK will also invest 20 billion yen
in flexible circuit board and rubber roller operations. Construction
of a second plant to produce O-rings at a cost of 3 billion yen
in Vietnam, and a synthetic rubber plant with an investment of 2
billion yen in Singapore will both start this fall. In Thai NOK,
3 billion yen will be spent for increasing production capacity of
all items except an oil seal, and another 2 billion will be used
for increasing production of vibration damping rubber products in
the Chinese plant. In Japan, 7 billion yen will be invested in renovation
and expansion of production facilities including in its Nihonmatsu
Plant in Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture. (From a story in
the Nikkan Jidosha Shimbun on June. 16, 2006)
New Facilities (Seal Business)
Name of Company and Facility (Location) |
Location | Facility | Expected Investment (millions of yen) |
Started | Expected to Complete in: |
NOK Nihonmatsu Plant |
Nihonmatsu-shi, Fukushima prefecture | Equipment for manufacturing oil seals | 3,970 | Apr. 2007 | Mar. 2008 |
Vietnam NOK Co., Ltd. Head Office Plant |
Bien Hoa, Vietnam | Equipment for manufacturing O rings | 3,100 | Feb. 2006 | Jul. 2008 |
Thai NOK Co., Ltd. Bangpakong Plant |
Chonburi, Thailand | Equipment for manufacturing rubber cushions | 3,136 | Jun. 2007 | Feb. 2008 |