About Shigematsu & Co.,Ltd.


Greeting from Our president
 
Shigematsu Company, Ltd. started its business operations in 1916 as atrading company. Since its inception, the company has been engagedmainly in import and sale of chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Thecompany went through a number of challenges brought about by the TwoWorld Wars and other drastic changes of economic environment. In 1967,the company opened its representative office in Hamburg. Germany witha view to expanding company's business smoothly.
The company's development can be seen by tracing its two major lines ofbusiness. Firstly, in the chemical field, the company concluded anagreement on the sole agency in Japan in 1959 with Doktor F. RaschigGmbH, a chemical manufacturer in West Germany with which the companywas engaged in business transactions since the prewar days. Later, thecompany entered into similar sole agency agreements with manywell-known manufacturers in Europe, which enabled it to sell theirproducts in the Japanese market exclusively. Since 1979, the companyhas been marketing L+fermented lactic acid and its derivatives as thesole agency of CCA Biochemi b.v. in the Netherlands. In the foodstufffield, the company became the sole agency of Deutsche Extrakt KaffeeGmbH in the Far East in 1966 and introduced its freezedry coffeeproduct under the brand name of Kreis Cafe to the market and theproduct has been well accepted on account of much better quality interms of taste, full body and fragrance than conventional instantcoffee.
The company has also been promoting export of chemicalsand other products of leading Japanese manufacturers not only toEurope but also to the United States, Canada and Australia andestablishing its solid position in various countries in the world.
In parallel with the above, the company opened its Tokyo branch in1976 as part of its program for strengthening the sales forces, and in1985 the company's new office building in Taito-ku, Tokyo wascompleted and has begun to play an increasingly important role incompany's business activities.
as outlined above, the company ispromoting its business operations on a truly global basis, and itsmanagement and employees are committed to continue concerted effortsto promote their business activities. They do look forward to yourthoughtful understanding and support in coming years.
Yoshiteru Shigematsu
President


An Outline of the Company
 
Name Shigematsu & Co., Ltd.
Representative Yoshiteru Shigematsu, Representative Director
Establishment September 9, 1963
Capital Stock 50 million yen
Annual Sales 11.6 billion yen
(1997~1998) ( Chemical Department : 2.8 billion yen )
Number of staff 67
Sales Departments  
Foods Department (Deals in) Liquors; Wines, Beer and Whiskies, Coffee, Pasta, Confectionery
Chemicals Department As introduced in Other pages


Development of the Company
 
1916
Shigematsu Shokai Co., was established.
1935
In view of the expected streamlining of private companies, by the Government, the headquarters of the company was moved to Shanghai, China and started joint business operations with Kenshin Yoko Co., a trading company for German products.
1946
As the war was terminated, the company withdrew from Shanghai.
1947
Kenshin Yoko Company, Ltd. was established(capital; 195,000 yen) and the company started contacting its customers from prewar days.
1950
Kenshin Yoko Company was dissolved and Shigematsu Trading Company, Ltd. was formed(capital; 1 million yen)
1959
The capital was increased to 3 million. The company became the sole agent of Doktor F. Raschig GmbH a leading chemical manufacturer in West Germany.
1963
The company made entry into foodstuff business, and became the Japanese sole agents of Bergenhas Canning Co., Ltd. in Norway, Kredin Co., Ltd. in Denmark, etc.
1964
The company became the Japanese sole agent of AKEMI Erich Hontsch GmbH Nurnberg in West Germany, and made entry into the Japanese stone industrial field with their stone adhesives.
1966
The company became the sole agent of Deutsche Extract Kaffee GmbH, an instant coffee manufacturer in West Germany.
1967
The company operated its representative office in Hamburg, West Germany and a representative was dispatched.
1968
The company became the Japanese sole agent of Long John Distillers, Scotch whiskey manufacturer in Scotland.
1970
The company's capital was increased to 10 million yen.
1974
The company's capital was increased to 30 million yen.
1976
The company opened its Tokyo Branch Office to expand business operations in east of Tokyo.
1978
The company moved to a newly completed head office building at Awajimach, Chuo-ku, Osaka City.
1979
The company became the Japanese sole agent of CCA Biochemie b.v. in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and also operated as sole agent of other well-known overseas manufacturers.
1981
The company established Deutsche Extract Kaffee Japan Co., Ltd., a joint venture with Deutsche Extract Kaffee GmbH in West Germany. (capital; 50 million yen)
1983
The company 's capital was increased to 41 million yen.
1984
The company's capital was increased to 50 million yen.
The company's Tokyo Branch Office was moved to a newly completed building(located at Motoasakusa, Taito-ku)
1985
The volume of import of fermented lactic acid from CCA Biochemie b.v. exceeded 600 tons.
1986
The company started trade with China.
1989
The company started to sell wine on a large scale.
The sales of private brand bourbon whisky, "THE YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS" and "CLEMENTINE" were started.
1990
The company established the new Department of imported high-class tableware and accessories.
"K d'Azur" retail shop was newly opened in Nishinomiya city.
1991
The new Head Office Building was completed.
"REGENT HOUSE" retail shop was newly opened at the first floor of new head office building.
1992
Tokyo Branch Office moved to Sengoku, Bunkyo-ku.
The ex-branch office ( located at Motoasakusa, Taito-ku) was converted into the new rental car-parking.
1994
"Wine House GRECO" liquor retail shop was newly opened in Nishinomiya city.
1995
"Dewar's Gift" retail shop was newly opened in Toyonaka city.
1997
The company opened "Tsukuba Life Science Office" in Tsukuba city, where the center of Science and Research in many kinds of field in Japan.

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