Komori America confirmed that Komori Corporation will celebrate its 100th anniversary on October 20, 2023.
Komori was founded in 1923 by brothers Zenshichi and Yoshikazu Komori, from the rubble of the Great Kanto Earthquake. The Komori brothers originally founded their new company as Komori Machinery Works, focusing on manufacturing manual lithographic presses. In 1928, after many years of litho evolution, Komori developed its first sheetfed offset press. From this first press to the introduction of the Lithrone GX40/G40 advance series of offset presses announced in 2020, offset printing presses have been Komori’s core business.
The company’s first overseas sales from the American market originated in the 1960s using a distributor model for North America. In 1981, convinced of the potential of the American market, Komori broke ground for the construction work that established Komori America in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. Komori America was the world’s first sales subsidiary directly established by a manufacturer in the printing machinery industry.
“In the past one hundred years, we’ve implemented a variety of technologies that have been industry firsts,” noted Mark Milbourn, Komori America’s executive vice president of sales and service. “Not all of these have remained as long-term products, but that’s the beauty of Komori’s continuing research and development: We are always on the lookout for opportunities to refine the product and take it to the next level.”
“As a company, we consistently reaffirm our core purpose: our dedication to print technology and our focus on kando, both of which are the basis of our business,” said Toshiyasu Kubotera, Komori America’s president. “This year, we celebrate the 100th anniversary of our founding, a historical milestone. We will continue to evolve our business over the next 100 years, strengthening relationships with customers, business partners and all stakeholders by offering innovative ways that expand their potential, create new value and open new opportunities in business scenarios of every kind. We thank everyone for their continued support and encouragement.”
