A History of Innovation | Corporate Information

1940s

1946	January	After demobilization, Tomesaburo Teraura returns to Taikou Kikai Seisakusho and starts making cables at the company’s Takarazuka Cable Conduit Plant.
1949	January	Takarazuka Cable Conduit Plant is bought by Tomesaburo Teraura and restarts operations under the business name of Takarazuka Sakudokan K.K. with a capital of 2 million yen. Teraura assumes office as president.

1950s

1950	February	PVC-coated cable development starts.
1950	February	TSK (Takarazuka Sakudokan K.K.) trademark is registered.
1951	February	Samples of PVC-coated cable are shipped.
1952	-	Mass production method is established for PVC-coated cables.
1952	-	Rail system is initiated for faster deliveries.
1953	May	Tomesaburo Teraura assumes the role of executive secretary of the Japan Small Vehicle Manufacturers Association.
	May	Construction of a strand wire plant is completed.
	-	System to give a much greater return of profits is voluntarily implemented.
1954	August	Capital is increased to 4.75 million yen.
	-	Management creed of “Quality Product, Competitive Prices, Prompt Delivery” is enacted.
	-	Inroads are made into the four-wheel-drive vehicle market.
1955	-	TSK research and development laboratory is established.
1956	October	Construction of a parts manufacturing plant is completed.
1956	-	Focus starts to be shifted from components for indicators to functional parts.
1957	-	Involuntary retirement is undertaken due to a sharp decline in orders (employees reinstated after two years).
1957	-	Quality Control (QC) efforts are made and a system for improvement strategy proposals is implemented.
1959	September	Delivered cables damaged in the Isewan Typhoon floods are replaced free of charge.
1959	September	First issue of the company newsletter is published.

1960s

1960	April	Capital is increased to 50 million yen.
	April	Nagoya Liaison Office is opened.
	May	Takarazuka Cable Conduit Association is inaugurated (predecessor to the Hoyukai).
	October	Construction of Sanda Plant is completed.
	October	Head office is completed (currently the offices of Hi-Lex Medical).
1961	April	Tokyo Office is opened.
	June	Tomesaburo Teraura assumes office as the first president of the Takarazuka Chamber of Commerce.
	June	Die-cast end cap molding is started.
1962	February	TSK labor union is inaugurated.
	April	Merger is concluded with Toyo Machinery & Metal Co., Ltd., with Tomesaburo Teraura appointed vice president.
	August	Monthly sales of 1 million cables are reached.
	September	Construction of Sanda Die-Cast Plant is completed.
1963	December	De-merger occurs with Toyo Machinery & Metal Co., Ltd., leading to an independent restart with 100 million yen in capital.
	-	In-house production of molds is started.
	-	Development is started on New TS-coated Cables.
1964	-	TQC is fully incorporated, and work standards are created.
1965	August	Special production line for outer casings is completed at Sanda Plant.
		Hamamatsu Office is opened.
		Nagoya Liaison Office is reorganized as the Nagoya Office.
1966	March	Monthly sales of 1.5 million cables are reached.
	May	Continuous winding machine is developed.
	July	Fire damages the plating section at Sanda Plant. Consequently, the 7th day of every month is designated as disaster prevention day.
	October	Representative offices are opened in Sapporo, Sendai, and Fukuoka.
	November	First QC case study presentation is held.
1967	September	Monthly sales of 2 million cables are reached; the company’s share of the domestic market reaches 70 percent, and it becomes the world’s number one cable manufacturer.
1967	-	New TS-coated Cables are sold for the first time.
1969	May	HI-LEX Cable is sold for the first time.
	May	Quality Assurance Section is established.
	August	Molding section is completed at Sanda Plant.
	November	FACOM230-10D computer is introduced and office automation (OA) starts.

1970s


1970	March	25th anniversary of the founding of the company is celebrated.
	April	Tomesaburo Teraura is inaugurated as a member of the council of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry.
	June	Teraura becomes the vice chairman of the Japan Auto Parts Industries Association, and is appointed head of the Kansai Branch.
	July	Construction of Kaibara Plant is completed.
	July	Teraura becomes the president of the Takarazuka Rotary Club.
	October	Monthly sales of 3 million cables are reached.
	November	Technical partnership with US-based Controlex, Inc. is started.
	November	Nagoya Office is relocated to the city of Toyota.
	-	Representative office is opened in Michigan, USA.
1971	February	4S Strategy is implemented.
	July	Corporate name is changed to Nippon Cable System, Inc.
	August	Development of TSK Grease is undertaken.
	September	Control boxes are developed for sea craft.
1972	March	Expansion of Kaibara Plant is completed.
	October	Construction of Technical Center is completed.
	November	TSK (Korea) Co., Ltd. is established.
1973	March	Capital investment in Kanto TSK is made.
	April	Capital investment in Tamba Cable, Inc. is made.
	May	New strand wire section is completed at Kaibara Plant.
	June	New office is completed at Sanda Plant.
	August	Capital investment in Tajima TSK, Inc. is made.
	October	Technical partnership is established with Flexible Drive Agencies Pty. Ltd., Australia, for Hi-Lex Cables.
	October	Capital investment in Hyogo Cable, Inc. is made.
	November	In-house production of base wire for inner cables is started.
	November	Capital is increased to 150 million yen.
1974	April	Tomesaburo Teraura is awarded with the Medal with Blue Ribbon.
	July	Capital is increased to 190 million yen.
	August	Capital is increased to 210 million yen.
	November	Capital is increased to 315 million yen.
1975	April	TSK of America is established.
	November	Jump Over S.M.I.L.E. movement is launched.
	November	Remote control boxes are developed.
	December	Numata Foundation is established.
1976	January	Capital investment in Kansai Cable, Inc. is made.
	March	Production on shaft cables is started.
	April	Capital investment in Mikuni Cable, Inc. is made.
	April	Capital investment and technical support agreement is ratified with Armstrong Cycle Parts Sdn. Bhd., Malaysia.
	July	Capital is increased to 456.75 million yen.
	August	HI-LEX Cable-dedicated section is put into operation at Kaibara Plant.
1977	March	Monthly sales of 5 million cables are exceeded, and earnings of 1 billion yen are reached.
	April	Joint-venture contract is signed with Lippo Group, Indonesia.
	June	Capital is increased to 600 million yen.
		Listed on the Second Section of the Osaka Securities Exchange.
	November	Capital is increased to 690 million yen.
	December	Manufacturing with an integrated production line is started.
1978	January	Vice President Makoto Teraura is advanced to president, and President Tomesaburo Teraura becomes chairman.
	June	Production plant is completed in the US, and production is started.
	August	Tokyo Office is opened in Sayama, Saitama.
	October	Capital is increased to 790 million yen.
	November	Capital is increased to 908.5 million yen.
	November	Chairman’s Award (later Founder’s Award) and President’s Award are inaugurated by the president.
1979	February	Monthly sales of 6 million are reached.
	October	PT. Lippo TSK Indonesia is established in Indonesia.
	-	Window glass regulator system is developed.
	November	Capital is increased to 1,044,775,000 yen.

1980s

1980	August	Tomesaburo Teraura, founder and chairman, passes away.
	September	Monthly sales of 7 million cables are reached.
	November	Capital is increased to 1,149,252,500 yen.
	November	Teraura Scholarship Foundation is inaugurated.
1981	May	Capital investment in Hayashi Spring Inc. is made.
		Construction on Mikkabi Plant is completed.
		TSK of America is renamed Hi-Lex Corporation (HLC).
	August	Manual transmission (MT) control cable is developed.
	October	Annual production of 90 million cables is reached, and earnings of 20 billion yen are exceeded.
	October	65 percent market share in Japan is achieved, as is a number one ranking in cables worldwide.
	December	Capital investment in Thai Steel Cable (TSC) Co., Ltd., Thailand, is made.
1982	January	Shouichi Kadoya, president of TSK (Korea) Co., Ltd. is awarded the Minister of International Trade and Industry Award for Economic Cooperation.
	April	Mikkabi Plant is expanded.
	August	Technical partnership is established with West German company Kuster Co., Gmbh.
	October	General quality inspections are instituted company-wide.
1983	August	Mass production of window glass regulators is started.
	-	No. 1 rank in the Nikkei Review of Industry Leaders is achieved.
	-	HLC expands its plant.
1984	June	Capital is increased to 2,522,933,500 yen.
	September	First TSK robot is introduced at Sanda Plant.
	December	Technical license agreement is concluded for Hi-Lex Cable in the Soviet Union.
	-	Steering systems are developed for small marine engines.
	-	Cable Engineering Standard (CES) is created.
1985	February	President Teraura is appointed honorary ambassador of the state of Michigan to Japan.
	March	Monthly sales of 8 million cables are reached.
	April	Technical partnership is established with Dae Dong Cable Co., Ltd., South Korea.
	April	Construction of Kanto TSK Inc. Mutsuzawa Plant is completed.
	June	Construction of Utsunomiya Technology Center is completed.
	November	Izushi Cable, Inc. is established.
	-	Hi-Lex Automotive Center is opened in Detroit, USA.
1986	January	TPM activities are kicked off.
1986	September	40th anniversary of the founding of the company is celebrated.
1987	April	Capital investment in Flexdrive Industries Ltd., Australia, is made.
	June	Capital investment in Dae Dong Cable Co., Ltd., South Korea, is made.
	-	HLC is presented with the Pentastar Award by Chrysler.
1988	September	Convertible bonds are issued for the first time.
	October	PM Excellent Place of Business prize is awarded.
	October	PT. Hi-Lex Parts Co., Ltd. Indonesia is established.
	-	GVE(Group Value Engineering) activities are introduced.
1989	January	Construction of technical headquarters on the head office site is completed.
	-	Hayashi Spring Inc. is renamed Nippon Cable System Saitama.
	May	Construction of Sanda-Nishi Plant is completed.
	May	Hi-Lex Controls Inc., America, is established.
	June	Nippon Cable System Shimane, Inc. is established.
	September	Capital investment in Bowden, UK, is made.

1990s

1990	July	Monthly sales of 10 million cables are reached.
1990	-	HCI operation is started.
1991	September	Ceremony is held to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the founding of the labor union.
1992	May	Construction of the Kanto TSK Kamogawa Plant is completed.
	May	Technology licensing agreement with Madhusudan Auto Ltd., India, and Flextech Manufacturing (Pty) Ltd, South Africa, is signed.
	June	Sanda-Nishi Plant is expanded.
	November	TSK of America is established as a holding subsidiary in the US.
	-	IBM AS400 Online System is introduced.
1993	January	Technical assistance agreement is signed with ABF, Hungary.
	May	Technical assistance agreement is signed with Mueller, Brazil.
	October	Hi-Lex Mexicana S.A.DE C.V. is established.
	-	Integrated mini-accelerator actuator is developed and goes on sale.
	-	Auto pull-up systems are developed.
1994	May	Project team is formed for entering the field of medical equipment.
	September	Effort to acquire ISO9001 certification is launched.
	November	Slim 30 methodology is implemented.
	December	HCI is presented with the Ford Q1 Award.
1995	January	Part of the head office and Sanda Plant is damaged in the Great Hanshin Earthquake.
	May	Joint venture company, Chongqing TSK Cable Ltd. (CTC), is established in Chongqing (now named CHONGQING HI-LEX CABLE SYSTEM GROUP CO., LTD. (CHG)).
	June	New TSC Plant is completed.
	September	ISO9001 certification is acquired.
1996	January	Representative office is opened in Europe.
	February	CTC operation is started.
	April	Toyota President’s Award for Cost Improvement is received.
	May	Medical equipment goes on sale.
	September	Mikkabi Plant Circle representatives are presented with the Honda NH Circle Japan Block Competition Award for Excellence.
	October	50th anniversary of the founding of the company is celebrated.
1997	January	Toyota President's Award for Cost Improvement is received.
	November	Activities toward QS-9000 certification are kicked off.
	-	Honda VA and VE Special Awards are received.
		Three companies in America and Mexico are awarded QS9000 certification.
		HCI and HLM plants are expanded.
		Licensed production agreement is signed with Kuster Co., Gmbh for window glass regulators.
		Production at Southeast Asian companies is greatly reduced due to financial instability.
		Lippo TSK and TSC are awarded ISO9002 certification.
		Raising and lowering systems for air conditioner grilles go on sale.
1998	April	Construction on the new HLM Plant is completed.
	July	Machino TSK Nippon Cable (P) Ltd. is established.
	October	QS-9000 certification is acquired.
	-	Electric nozzle deflectors are developed and go on sale.
	-	Europe Office is closed.
1999	February	Toyota Quality Control Excellence Award is won for the second year in a row.
	March	Hi-Lex Vietnam Co., Ltd. (HLV) is established.
	May	Nagoya Office is relocated.
	October	Mikkabi Plant Circle is a participant in the Honda NH Circle World Meeting.
	October	President Shinomiya of TSK (Korea) Co., Ltd. is awarded the Minister of International Trade and Industry Prize.
	-	Capital is increased for TSK (Korea) Co., Ltd., and factories are expanded.
	-	Wheelchair fixtures are developed and go on sale.

2000s

2000	March	Activities toward CAPS are kicked off.
	May	Hi-Lex Cable System Co., Ltd. (HCS) is established in the UK.
	June	Certification of Excellence is received from Mazda.
	October	P.T. Lippo TSK (currently P.T. Hi-Lex Indonesia (P) (HLINA)) becomes a subsidiary.
	-	Internal urethral catheter for cats is commercialized.
	-	Hi-Lex Do Brazil (HLB) Office is opened.
2001	January	CTC in China becomes a subsidiary.
	February	Fuji Hi-Lex is established.
	June	ISO14001 certification is acquired.
	-	Partnership is formed with Alpha Corporation.
	-	Full-scale mass production of power sliding doors is started.
2002	February	Operation of HCI’s Hudson Plant is started.
	March	Hi-Lex India (P) Ltd. (HLIND) becomes a subsidiary.
	April	Alpha Hi-Lex is established.
	August	Guangzhou TSK Control Cable Co., Ltd. (GTC) is established.
	September	Hyogo Prefectural Governor’s Prize is received for outstanding offices for the employment of persons with disabilities.
	September	Chongqing TSK Automotive Inc. (CTP) is established (currently Chongqing Hi-Lex Control Cable System Co. Ltd. (CQHL)).
	November	30th anniversary of the founding of TSK (Korea) Co., Ltd. is reached.
	-	Overseas production of 50 percent is exceeded.
	-	Approval is obtained to produce medical equipment.
2003	January	Yantai TSK Cable System Co., Ltd. (YTC) is established.
	January	New Izushi Cable Plant is completed.
	March	40th anniversary of the formation of the labor union is reached.
	July	DAEDONG HI-LEX INC. (DDHL) is established in South Korea.
	October	Earnings of 50 billion yen are exceeded.
	-	CAPS activities are started at overseas subsidiaries.
		GTC operation is started.
		CTP operation is started.
2004	March	Full-scale production of window glass regulators is started by YTC.
	October	Izushi Cable is damaged in major floods.
	-	Door modules from Japan, the US, and Korea are ordered from PLG.
	-	Activities toward certification of CAPS instructors are started.
2005	April	10th anniversary of the founding of CTC is reached.
	November	Toyota Technical Development Appreciation Award is received.
	-	ISO13485 certification is received (medical equipment quality control system).
		Defined contribution pension scheme is introduced.
		TSC is listed on the stock market.
2006	January	PLG starts sales.
	March	QS9000 certification is converted to the new ISO/TS16949 certification.
	May	Nippon Cable System Inc. is renamed Hi-Lex Corporation.
	July	Hi-Lex Hungary Cable System Manufacturing LLC is established.
	November	Award for originality is received from the Japan Society for Artificial Organs.
	November	Kyotan TSK, Co., Ltd. operations are started.
	-	Micro-catheter, Gold Crest, is developed and goes on sale.
		Large-scale orders of door modules are received in North America.
		New TSC Plant is transferred and expanded.
2007	December	Medical equipment division is introduced.
		Guangzhou Hi-Lex Cable System Co., Ltd. is established (currently Guangdong Hi-Lex Cable System Co. Ltd (GHL)).
		Changchun TSK Automotive Inc. is established (currently CHANGCHUN HI-LEX CABLE CO., LTD. (CCHL)).
	-	North America New Technical Center is opened.
		Double-threaded outers are developed.
		New DDHL plant in Bosun is opened
2008	May	Operation of the new Hi-Lex Saitama Plant is started.
	May	Resin molding division is relocated to Sanda-Nishi Plant.
	July	Daedong Hi-Lex of America Inc. (DDHLA) is established.
2009	April	CHG is relocated to a new plant.
	September	Takarazuka Plant (relocated to Sanda Plant) becomes the site for the relocation and expansion of the medical equipment division.
		GHL operation is started.
		HLB subsidiary is withdrawn.
		Mass production is started on the new helix cable product, SPI-RAX.
	October	Hi-Lex Kanto Kamogawa Plant is closed.
	November	First order from Fuji Heavy Industries for our window glass regulators is received.
	November	First exhibition at the world's largest medical equipment exhibition, MEDICA, is held.

2010s

2010	February	Honda Award for Excellent Engineering is awarded to the R&D department.
	May	15th anniversary of the founding of CHG is celebrated.
	June	Operation of HLIND No. 2 Plant is started.
	July	New power sliding door is ordered by Nissan.
	December	Golden Presentation Award is received from the Japanese Society for Alternatives to Animal Experiments.
	-	Shanghai Office is opened.
		China market sales of 22 billion yen are exceeded.
		Operation of CCHL Plant is started.
2011	March	Around 23 million yen is donated in relief after the Great East Japan Earthquake (HL Group).
	May	Development Contribution Award is received from Nissan Shatai (for the mass-production of power sliding doors.)
	June	Operation of HLINA No. 2 Plant is started.
	July	Order for gear shift cables is placed by a Russian car maker.
	August	First order is received from Renault (900 million yen per year).
	November	President Teraura becomes the director of Kibo no Ie (House of Hope—a welfare facility for the disabled).
	-	CHG is awarded the All China Labor Competition for Advanced Teams Award (Line 4A02).
2012	March	50th anniversary of the formation of the Hi-Lex labor union is celebrated.
		Orders are taken for the powered rear glass slider for Nissan pick-up trucks.
		40th anniversary of the founding of TSK (Korea) Co., Ltd. is reached.
	July	HCS is presented with the Honda Quality Circle Improvement and Development Award in the UK.
	November	Mass production is started on the power rear gate (PRG) for Fuji Heavy Industries.
	November	Inroads are made into the assistant artificial heart industry (Sun Medical Technology Research Corp. becomes a subsidiary).
	December	HI-LEX RUS LLC (HLR) is established in Russia.
	-	German Technology Center representative office is established.
2013	March	Hi-Lex Europe (HLE) Technology and Business Center is established.
	July	Listed on the Second Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
	July	Mass production is started on the TOTO bathtub drain cap cable.
	September	Masuda Mega Solar Plant is completed, and power generation is started.
2014	March	Daedong Door, Inc. (DDDR) is established.
	May	Pt. Hi-Lex Cirebon (Indonesia) is established.
	July	Chongquing Evaheart Medical Device Co., Ltd. (CEMD) is established.
		Construction begins on HLR Plant.
		Hangzhou Hi-Lex Cable System Co., Ltd. (HZHL) is established in China.
	October	Consolidated net sales of 200 billion yen are reached.
	December	HLIND Plant in Chennai is newly established.
	-	PLG receives orders for struts compatible with Mazda vehicles.
		Hino EPBK R&D Excellence Award is received.
		Platform lifting home door is developed.
2015	June	Share price reaches its highest value to date.
	September	Approval is granted for the manufacturing of new product, Hi-Lex Graft artificial blood vessels.
	October	Micro-catheter for cancer treatment (broadcast on the TV show Doors to Dreams) goes on sale.
	-	Sales are restarted in Brazil with a third entrance into the market.
	-	New window glass regulators orders are received from HLE clients in Europe.
2016	January	70th anniversary of the founding is reached.
	April	Ceremony celebrating the 70th anniversary of the founding is held.
	May	Spanish company Castellon Automotive becomes a subsidiary.
	October	Lames S.P.A in Italy becomes a subsidiary.
		Establishment of Hi-Lex Miyagi is in the works.
		Establishment of a manufacturing subsidiary in the Czech Republic is in the works.

Corporate History