Mitsuboshi – History

October 1919

Mitsuboshi Shokai was founded to manufacture cotton transmission belts at the current Kobe Plant site

March 1920

Main material of power transmission belts production was changed from cotton to rubber

October 1932

The business was incorporated as Mitsuboshi Shokai Co., Ltd

June 1935

The company name was changed to Mitsuboshi Chotai Co., Ltd

March 1936

Start manufacturing conveyor belts

June 1937

Tokyo Branch established

October 1940

Start manufacturing V-belts

January 1947

Start manufacturing bicycle tires and tubes began

November 1947

Shikoku Plant established and start manufacturing flat belts

November 1948

Osaka Branch established

June 1950

Nagoya Branch established

May 1957

Start manufacturing timing belts

July 1958

Listed on Osaka Securities Exchange

May 1961

The company name was changed to Mitsuboshi Belting Ltd.

June 1961

Listed on Nagoya Stock Exchange

January 1962

Nagoya Plant established

May 1962

Listed on Tokyo Stock Exchange

July 1963

Start manufacturing waterproofing sheets

April 1965

Start manufacturing automobile interior components

July 1973

Start manufacturing automobile exterior components

MBL (USA) CORPORATION established in the United States

February 1977

MBL (Europe) B.V. established in Netherlands

July 1977

Mitsuboshi Belting (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. established in Singapore

September 1977

Kanagawa Plant was established to take over the production of automotive components at Mitsuboshi Belting Kanagawa Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

April 1980

Start manufacturing engineering structural foams

October 1982

Start manufacturing ChemiFlex products from polyurethane materials

September 1986

Shiga Plant established; start cord treatment for power transmission belt

December 1987

Mitsuboshi Belting (Thailand) Co., Ltd. established in Thailand

February 1988

MBL Antriebstechnik Deutschland GmbH established in Germany

March 1988

Start manufacturing power transmission belts  at MBL (USA) CORPORATION

September 1988

P.T. Mitsuboshi Belting Indonesia established in Indonesia

May 1990

MBL International (Asia) Pte. Ltd. established in Singapore
Start manufacturing power transmission belts at P.T. Mitsuboshi Belting (Indonesia)

October 1992

Head Office was moved to Harborland Center Building, Kobe

January 1995

Facilities of Kobe Plant were damaged by the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake

November 1996

P.T. SEIWA INDONESIA established in Indonesia

February 1999

Mitsuboshi Belting Giken Co., Ltd. established in Ayabe City, Kyoto, for the purpose of developing and testing production systems

October 1999

Held ceremony to commemorate 80th anniversary

January 2000

Start multi-headquarter system, Tokyo head office established

April 2000

Techno Research Center established at Kobe

June 2000

MBL International (Asia) Pte. Ltd. in Singapore changed its business purpose and was renamed MITSUBOSHI OVERSEAS HEADQUARTERS LIMITED.

November 2000

Kobe head office was moved to Nagata Ward, Kobe

August 2001

MOI Tech Europe Sp.z o.o. established in Poland

November 2001

STARS TECHNOLOGIES INDUSTRIAL LIMITED established in Thailand

June 2002

MBL SHANGHAI INTERNATIONAL TRADING CO. LTD. established in China

January 2003

Consolidated MITSUBOSHI OVERSEAS HEADQUARTERS LIMITED and Mitsuboshi Belting (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. into MITSUBOSHI OVERSEAS HEADQUARTERS LIMITED

Consolidated sales companies in Japan into one company, Mitsuboshi Belting Sales Co., Ltd.

October 2003

Operating officer system introduced

April 2004

SUZHOU MITSUBOSHI BELTING CO., LTD. established in China

October 2004

Automotive components division was split to Mitsuboshi Belting Kaseihin Co., Ltd.

September 2006

All stocks of Mitsuboshi Belting Kaseihin Co.,Ltd. were handed over to International Automotive Components Group Japan,LLC.

October 2007

Ayabe Production System Development Center started its operation with the integrated production system from raw materials to finished products

October 2008

Developed new variable speed belt composed of engineering plastic blocks and rubber

December 2010

MITSUBOSHI BELTING-INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED established in India

August 2012

Mitsuboshi Belting VIETNAM Co., Ltd. established in Vietnam

January 2015

Held an advertising tower lighting ceremony to commemorate  20th year after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake

February 2015

Released Smart Tension, a simple belt tension measurement app for smartphones

October 2019

Celebrated its 100th anniversary.