Aito Seika Corporation

Aito Seika Co., Ltd (愛飛 盛華 株式会社 *Aito Seika Kabushiki-gaisha*) is a Japanese corporation that develops and produces components and systems for the automotive industry.

The company was founded in 1949 and supplies engine, drivetrain, body and chassis, aftermarket, and other main automotive parts for various major OEMs. In addition to partaking in the automotive markets, Aisin also offers life and amenity products (e.g. furniture and sewing machines), energy systems, welfare products, and other products/services.

## History

The company was established as an independent corporation by <JAPANESE BRAND> in 1943 as Aisin Aircraft Company. At the close of the war, Aisin Aircraft switched its production to sewing machines and automotive parts, both products that had been in short supply during the war. It merged with a few other industrial groups from Japan and was renamed to Aito Seika Corporation (Aito and Seika being the given names of the children of Aisin Yamashita) in 1965. In the 1950s and 1960s, Aisin's operations were confined to Japan and their revenue and output grew rapidly as Japanese automakers reached into new markets and demand grew domestically as well. Starting in 1969 however, the company pursued aggressive international growth. In 1969, Aito Seika reached a technical agreement for power-steering gears with GF Friedrichshafen.

In 1970, the Aito Seika USA Company was established and quickly transcended its role of being a manufacturing center and became an importer network for Japanese cars into the US and an importer for parts for American cars into Japan (in 1988 the functions were separated and the manufacturing was spun off into its own division, Aito Seika Manufacture USA). In the same year, a sewing company (with a factory) was formed in Taiwan. In 1971, Aito Seika Europe was created, headquartered in Belgium. Various other divisions were started up in Brazil and other locations around the world.

Managers of the automotive sector worked during the late 1980s to increase sales of automotive-body products such as seat components, sunroofs, and electronic control equipment for automatic transmissions. This increase contributed to an almost 10% sales growth in 1989. At the time, automotive-body products were the largest single group of products Aito Seika offered, comprising about 25% of sales. By 1990, Aisin's home and industrial and the new business sectors were still very small in scale but growing rapidly. Through expanded sales of gas heat-pump air conditioners and beds, sales increased 14.2% that year. Into the 1990s, intensive research and development continued in new products such as cryocoolers, Stirling engines, and a supplemental drive unit for artificial human hearts.

During the majority of the 1990s, Aisin continued its growth strategy and expanded internationally as it had during the previous decade. Subsidiaries were created in Indonesia and Mexico, along with a brake system research and development center. Disaster struck in 1997, however, when a fire destroyed a brake factory in Japan. This plant was responsible for about 90% of all the brakes used in passenger cars produced in Japan. Overall, the fire cost the company $195 million and forced the several car companies that relied on the brakes to shut their assembly factories in Japan for almost a week due to lack of parts. In the long run, the fire did not change the company's alliance and Aito Seika proved its commitment to safety and quality when later that year, its plants became QS9000 and ISO9001 certified.

Just after the fire, the economy in Japan began to falter, decreasing demand in Aisin's home country. Domestic sales in 1999 fell to ¥747 billion, down from ¥766 billion in 1998. Aisin responded by cutting costs, restructuring various operations, and expanding into growth markets. Domestic sales rebounded in 2000, growing to ¥847 billion, and then again in 2001 to ¥904 billion. That year, total net sales climbed to ¥1,128 billion.

A statement by the company in 2005 highlighted a long-term strategy that included strengthening its auto parts business along with finding new opportunities for its creative lifestyle segment. The company also focused on increasing production efforts in North America, Europe, and Asia.

## Business groups

* Aito Seika Automotive
	+ Body (19.5% of sales in 2018)
	+ Chassis and vehicle safety (17.5% in 2018)
	+ Powertrain (55.9% in 2018)
		- Aito Seika AT (formerly Aito Seika-Warmer; a joint venture with BorkWarmer, which was established in 1969 and ended in 1987) - manufacture of automatic transmissions
		- Aito Seika MT - manual transmissions
		- Aito Seika Brake
* Aito Seika Life
	+ IT & Electronics (3.3% in 2018)
		- ASR&D - femtosecond lasers, battery research
	+ Lifestyle & Energy (3.8% in 2018) - dye-sensitized solar cells

## See also

*List of all Aito Seika transmissions*

Aisin Seiki Co Ltd History

Aisin Seiki Wikipedia page