Company Profile
Sumitomo Drive Technologies has been trusted for over 130 years to provide quality products and innovative solutions to help our customers solve their complex challenges.
This rich history has made us a leading manufacturer of gear reducers and control products in a wide variety of applications for leading brands around the globe.
Corporate Video
Watch our corporate video to learn more about what makes Sumitomo a global leader for power transmission and controls.
Company History
1888 - 1915
- November 1888: The company is launched as a machinery production and repair shop for the Besshi Copper Mine.
1888 - 1915
- September 1916: Established as Osaka Mfg. Co., Ltd. chain site.
- January 1928: Lorenz Braren granted a patent for his invention of the Cyclo gearbox.
- 1928: Name changed to Sumitomo Besshi Copper Mine, Ltd. - Niihama Works
- November 1934: Incorporated as Sumitomo Machinery Co., Ltd.
- January 1935: Changes the company name with Osaka Seiko Co., Ltd.
- January 1937: Acquired the joint company Mizoguchi Gear Factory and started production of gears and various transmissions.
- 1939: Manufactured the first Japanese Cyclo at Niihama Works.
- May 1949: Listed on the Osaka Securities Exchange.
1951 - 1980
- December 1951: Capital participation in Japan Machine Made Chain Co., Ltd.
- October 1956: Kobe Steel Co., Ltd. will become a Kobe Steel group company through capital participation.
- 1961: Nagoya Works was established in Obu City,which enabled mass production of Cyclo Drive units.
- 1966: Sumitomo established Sumitomo Machinery Corporation of America (SMA), the very first overseas manufacturing plant in Carlstadt, NJ (USA).
- October 1967: Started operation of the factory facilities of Shinko Mizoguchi Gear Co., Ltd. as our Takasago plant. Technology collaboration on SF Coupling with US FALK.
- May 1970: Become an international member of AGMA (American Gear Industry Association).
- May 1979: Manufacture and sale of anchor chain transferred subsidiary Nippon Mechanical Chain Co., Ltd.
1981 - 2000
- 1980: Hedcon introduced
- 1981: Compower introduced, AF100, AF100G (inverter) introduced
- July 1982: Headquarters and factories are consolidated in Kaizuka City Wakihama 4-16-1.
- 1985: SMA opened a regional office was opened in Rexdale, Ontario.
- 1988: Hyponic Drive introduced in Japan with patented hypoid technology.
- December 1988: Having outgrown the Teterboro facility, SMA relocated to Chesapeake, VA.
- December 1992: The Latin American territory established with 16 stocking distributors supported by direct sales engineers and manufacturing representatives.
- December 1993: Okayama Gearmotor plant established.
- September 1996: Acquired the certification of the international standard "ISO 9001" for quality assurance.
- May 1999: Becoming a Sumitomo Heavy Industries group company by Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd. capital participation.
- February 2000: Toyo Precision Machinery Co., Ltd became a specified subsidiary.
- March 2000: Merger with Nippon Mechanical Chain Co., Ltd.
- July 2000: Merger of Toyo Precision Machinery Co., Ltd.
2001 - 2010
- October 2002: Changed company name to Seisa Co., Ltd.
- 2003: Introduced the global division brand of Sumitomo Drive Technologies to bind all Sumitomo Power Transmission and Controls divisions together.
- October 2006: Abolishment of listing due to stock exchange with Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd. of the parent company, becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of the company.
- October 2007: Merger with Ueda Gear Precision Machinery Industry Co., Ltd.
- 2008: Sumitomo Machinery Corporation of America Opens Fifth Facility in Louisville, KY
- August 2009: Acquired the international standard "ISO 14001" for the environment.
2011 - Present
- 2011: SHI Completes Acquisition of Shares of Hansen Industrial Transmission
- 2012: BBB4 and BBB5 launch
- April 2016: Changed company name to Sumitomo Heavy Industries Gearbox Co., Ltd. from Seisa
- April 2017: Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd. PTC Division, Gearbox Division (Okayama Plant) and business integration.
- January 2018: Corporation of America Announces their $10 Million Expansion to Chesapeake Headquarters.
- May 2018: Sumitomo Machinery Corporation of America opens GB Center of Excellence in Verona, VA.
- May 2018: Sumitomo Heavy Industries Ltd acquires Lafert Group.
- August 2019: Fortress Stainless Steel Reducer Launch
- September 2019: Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd. Acquires Invertek Drives Ltd..
- December 2019: Sumitomo Machinery Corporation of America completes acquisition of Luftex Gears.
- October 2020: New Hansen M5CT Industrial Gearbox Launch.
- January 2021: Bevel Buddybox® H-Series Reducer Launch.
- July 2021: Sumitomo Begins Expansion Project in Nuevo León, Mexico.
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