HISTORY
founded the original spring factory in Edogawa-ku, Tokyo Japan in 1930. The company incorporated under the name KATO SPRING WORKS CO., LTD. in 1946. At that time, the main products of KATO SPRING were springs for weighing scales and the domestic market share of Kato in this application reached approximately 90%.
Inokichi Kato, founder of KATO SPRING
In 1952, an automatic coiling machine was acquired and this greatly reduced production costs for mass production orders. From this point in time, KATO SPRING started to be known for and specialized in the production of precision wire springs for optical instrument, electric equipment and many other high volume markets.
Mass production started with automatic coiling machines in 1952
Mr. Kiyoshi Kato, who is a son of Inokichi Kato, became the president of the company in 1962. The building of a headquarters factory having four floors (located in Tokyo) was completed in 1963 and KATO SPRING was officially listed on the 2nd Section Tokyo Stock Exchange in 1964.
Headquarters factory established in Tokyo Japan in 1963
In 1966, a new challenge arose to produce precision flat spring in addition to the traditional wire springs so this new ability was added. Our success in flat springs engineering was instrumental in our growth during that time period.
Flat springs for VTR produced in 1980s
In 1966, KATO SPRING established the first oversea sales subsidiary KATO SPRING USA in
Long Beach, California, which was a long time dream of Kiyoshi Kato. In 1985 KATO SPRING USA began a US production concern in Huntington Beach, California and the name changed to KATO SPRING OF CALIFORNIA.
During the 1970’s and 80’s, Yuichi Kato, who is a son of Kiyoshi Kato, joined KATO SPRING and took an active part in the globalization of the company, including launching the factory in Singapore in 1978, which remains today as our Global technical center.
As globalization continued, a large production factory having 183 members in Kashiwazaki was founded in 1976. The variety of products was expanded. In 1986, an additional factory located in Fukushima was opened for the fast growing computer industry producing components for floppy disks. In 1988, a production factory was established in UK, giving Kato European reach.
Production factory in UK established in 1988
KATO SPRING continued to grow with 16 plants now spread over 9 countries in 3 continents. We have transformed the business in order to provide higher value added products and to adjust to ever-changing market environment. The corporate name changed to ADVANEX INC. in July 2001, a name symbolizing continuous advance and growth towards the next generation. ADVANEX has been listed on First section of Tokyo Stock Exchange since March 2004. Currently the product variety includes precision springs, wireforms, micro springs, plastic springs, computer hinges, helicoils, plastic insert molded parts, and several other proprietary products including assemblies.
There are now 27 group companies including 19 consolidated subsidiaries in Japan, USA, Mexico, UK, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and India.
We are a world class organization, one of the largest in the industry with 11 manufacturing sites in seven different countries, including the United States, Japan, Malaysia, England, Singapore, Thailand, and China.
Our ISO/TS 16949 California plant, located in Cypress manufactures products for our N. America customers. We have over 170 state-of-the art machines dedicated to the production of torsion, extension, and compression springs along with wire forms, multi-slides and straight pins. Our cutting edge machinery and global purchasing power enables us to control manufacturing and material costs allowing us to pass on savings to our customers without compromising our standards of quality.
Kato Spring of California, Inc. is equipped with:
* 50,000 square foot manufacturing facility, with climate controlled production floor to maintain critical tolerances.
* ISO 9000/TS 16949 approved manufacturing facility with the latest in testing equipment.
* C.E.R.T.S., S.P.C., VMI, and J.I.T. programs for our customers.
* Personal service by our own Professional Sales Staff.
OUR GROUP MISSION
"Satisfaction-Plus Network" For a Better World
OUR CORE VALUES
- Be Unique
- Don't just adapt to change, create it.
- KISS [keep it simple and speedy]
- Say "NO! to bureaucracy
- With your own initiative
- Focus on your own responsibility
- Whole heartedly
CORPORATE GROUP
Japan
ADVANEX INC.
Tabata Asuka Tower 6-1-1 Tabata,
Kita-ku, Tokyo 114-8581
Japan
Phone: +81-3-3822-5865 Fax: +81-3-3822-5871
Website: www.advanex.co.jp/
KATOSPRING, INC.
Fujiinishioki 1355-2,
Kashiwazaki-shi, Niigata 945-0194
Japan
Phone: +81-257-21-3012 Fax: +81-257-21-3022
Website: www.katospring.co.jp/
ACCURATE INC.
Minami-koshigaya 4-16-13,
Koshigaya-shi, Saitama 343-0845
Japan
Phone: +81-489-86-9621
Website: www.ultraspring.com/
FUJI MICRO CO., LTD.
Matsuura Bld. 2F Uchi-kanda 3-16-9,
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0047
Japan
Phone: +81-3-3526-6121 Fax: +81-3-3526-6217
Website: www.fuji-micro.co.jp/
STRAWBERRY CORPORATION
Website: www.strawberrycorporation.com/
U.S.A.
KATO SPRING OF CALIFORNIA, INC.
5780 CERRITOS AVENUE,
CYPRESS, CALIFORNIA 90630,
U.S.A.
Phone: +1-714-995-4519 Fax: +1-714-995-7294
Website: www.katospring.com/
KATO FASTENING SYSTEMS, INC.
11836 FISHING POINT DRIVE, SUITE 400,
NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA 23606,
U.S.A.
Phone: +1-757-873-8980 Fax: +1-757-873-4920
Website: www.katonet.com/
Europe
KATO PRECISION (U. K.) LIMITED
MILL PARK WAY. OFF STATION ROAD, SOUTHWELL,
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE, NG25 0ET,
U. K.
Phone: +44-1636-815555 Fax: +44-1636-817725
KATO-ENTEX LIMITED
GLAISDALE DRIVE, BILBOROUGH,
NOTTINGHAM, NG8 4JY,
U. K.
Phone: +44-115-9293931 Fax: +44-115-9295773
Website: www.kato-entex.co.uk/
Asia
KATO SPRING (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
2306 BEDOK RESERVOIR ROAD,
SINGAPORE 479224
REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE
Phone: +65-4488639 Fax: +65-4481207
Website: www.kato.com.sg/
KATO SPRING (M) SDN. BHD.
LOT No.12, KAWASAN MIEL, JALAN PIANDANG 24/34, SEKSYEN 24,
40000 SHAH ALAM, SELANGOR DARUL EHSAN
MALAYSIA
Phone: +60-3-55422186 Fax: +60-3-55413953
KATO SPRING (THAILAND) LTD.
HI-TECH INDUSTRIA L ESTATE
151 MOO 1, TAMBOL BANN-LEN
AMPHUR BANG PA-IN, PRANAKORNSRI-AYUTTHAYA
13160, THAILAND
Phone: +66-35-314200~5 Fax: +66-35-314208~9
ADVANEX (HK) LTD.
Room No. 802B, 8/F Empire Centre, 68 Mody Road,
Tsimshatsui East, Kowloon,
Hong Kong
Phone: +852-2708-8806 Fax: +852-2708-8773
KATO SPRING (SHANGHAI) CO., LTD.
Standard Building 54,
No. 199 North Ri Ying Road,
WaiGaoQiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai
Peoples Republic of China 200131
Phone: +86-21-5046-1717 Fax: +86-21-5046-0707
ADVANEX PRECISION COMPONENTS (DONGGUAN) CO.,LTD.
No.9 Xi-Hu Hi-Tech Information Industrial Park
Shilong Town, Dongguan City,
Guangdong Province 523325
China
Phone: +86-769-6117860 Fax: +86-769-6117830
ADVANEX PRECISION COMPONENTS (DALIAN) CO.,LTD
No.33-17, Industrial Park of Dalian Development Zone
(No.5 Building, Dalian Development Zone Auxiliary Enterprise Centre)
116600, China
Phone: +86-411-8750-5525 Fax: +86-411-8750-5529
