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Toshio Kitazawa founded the Kitazawa Factory (currently KITZ Corporation) in 1951 at a time when Japan was changing over from the chaotic aftermath of the postwar era to the approaching era of high growth. With its head office in Tokyo and a factory in Nagasaka, Yamanashi Prefecture in Japan, the new company began manufacturing bronze valves.

Toshio Kitazawa’s founding principle was “Manufacture better products at lower cost and with timely delivery.” Guided by this principle, the Company positioned integrated production as the basis of its operations and started its own foundry for copper alloy castings, the basic material of valves. Because castings need sophisticated manufacturing technologies and large-scale facilities, even in today’s valve industry there are very few manufacturers that produce their own castings.

We also built a system that carries out all production processes under the same roof, from casting through machining, assembly, testing, inspection, coating and shipment with finely tuned after-sales follow-up based on a sales network covering Japan as a whole and solutions that address problems. This structure has enabled us to achieve prominent management quality through outstanding technological competence, cost competitiveness and timely delivery. Our insistence on “higher quality” has been upheld and passed down as the headstream of all the KITZ Group’s activities.

Increasing earning power through Group synergy

Besides the internationally recognized KITZ brand, the KITZ Group also possesses numerous brands that feature unique technologies, know-how and products that offer a total solution to diversified customer needs. While each group operation offers its own distinctive brand and products, we also work as a group to provide our customers with products, technologies and services offered by the group member companies in a package to maximize the synergy effect while increasing earning power.

Toward realizing the KITZ’ Statement of Corporate Mission

On the occasion of our 70th anniversary in 2021, we decided to revise our Corporate Philosophy, the KITZ’ Statement of Corporate Mission. The new KITZ’ Statement of Corporate Mission incorporates our strong desire to continue supporting social infrastructure by further refining the fluid control technologies and materials development that we have cultivated since our founding.

In February 2022, we unveiled our Long-term Management Vision “Beyond New Heights 2030 – Change the Flow”. Amid a social environment changing with dizzying speed, we strive to realize the KITZ’ Statement of Corporate Mission, while strengthening the foundations of core businesses, we have identified “digitalization” as an essential element in improving the efficiency of energy usage and “decarbonization” as the key to achieving carbon neutrality. Embracing these keywords, we aim to accelerate our entry into growth businesses without fear of the risks, and engage in ambidextrous management that shifts the business domains in which we operate.

In order to “change the flow,” we must effect significant reforms, both at the company level and the level of individual employees. We will boldly move forward with a quick and decisive ability to take action, further evolve KITZ’ strength in fluid control technologies and take on new and ambitious challenges in the lead up to 2030.