Lixil Group
History. The company was formed in 2011 by the merger of Tostem Corp. (a supplier of building materials), INAX (manufacturer of toilets and bathtubs), Shin Nikkei (maker of materials for skyscrapers), Sunwave (a kitchen company) and Toyo Exterior (manufacturer of gates and fences). In the same year Lixil bought Permasteelisa, an Italian developer of curtain walls, for €575 million. Two years later Lixil bought American Standard Brands, a U.S. bathroom fixtures company for $542 million and in 2014 Grohe, the German bathroom fixtures company for €3.06 billion. It also started manufacturing in Andhra Pradesh, India . On 6 November 2018, LIXIL announced a new partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to bring what could be the world's first "reinvented toilet" for household use to pilot in at least two markets. This stems from the Reinvent the Toilet Challenge. Sponsorships. Lixil is the sponsor of the Lixil Cup, awarded from 2014 to 2016 to the champion team from the finals of Japan's Top League, which the nation's highest level rugby union competition. The company also sponsors tennis player Kei Nishikori, and was a sponsor of the 2020 Olympic Games. Following their predecessor company  Tostem Corp's longstanding shirt sponsorship of the J.League football club, the Kashima Antlers, Lixil has continued this shirt sponsorship since 2011, when the merger with Tostem occurred.