Aichi Corporation

Aichi Corporation is a Japanese company whose business centers on specialized vehicles designed to mechanize work in challenging or elevated environments. Its official site describes the company as an enterprise focused on creating work environments and highlights products including truck-mounted and self-propelled aerial work platforms, bridge-inspection vehicles, and pole-setting and digging vehicles. The company also offers information and services related to used vehicles, leasing, maintenance, and training. The company traces its origins to 1962, when Aichi Sharyo Co., Ltd. was established in Nagoya. Founder Sakujirō Suzuki’s commitment to mechanizing hazardous, labor-intensive work shaped the early business: the company developed a pole-setting vehicle in its founding year, followed by other specialized vehicles and its first aerial work platform in 1965. It adopted the name Aichi Corporation in 1992. Aichi’s products serve customers carrying out infrastructure, utility, construction, and inspection work. Its company history records the creation of a joint venture in China in 1995 and the establishment of a Chinese subsidiary in 2008, alongside a long-running network of Japanese sales and service operations. Toyota Industries Corporation became a subsidiary parent following a capital and business alliance in 2002 and the subsequent acquisition of subsidiary status in 2003. The official site presents Aichi as an active company focused on customer problem-solving, safety, work-environment improvement, and social contribution.

Aichi Corporation was founded in 1962 in Nagoya as Aichi Sharyo Co., Ltd. The company’s origin is closely associated with founder Sakujirō Suzuki’s interest in reducing the danger and physical burden of manual work. The company history describes Suzuki’s early awareness of the risks of electrical-line work and his conviction, after observing mechanized vehicles, that mechanization could improve both efficiency and safety. Before the company was established, he built and promoted a pole-setting vehicle; the new company continued that work as a specialist maker of vehicles for tasks that had often relied on manual labor. The early product program expanded quickly. The company developed an A-type pole-setting vehicle in 1962, a ladder truck in 1963, a digging and pole-setting vehicle in 1964, and its first aerial work platform in 1965. It began mass-producing the AS-B4 aerial work platform in 1966. The company subsequently established manufacturing and service capacity in Japan, opened regional sales subsidiaries, and developed offerings for customers in sectors requiring elevated access and infrastructure work. Its history also records an early focus on product development, customer engagement, and operator training. Aichi’s corporate and market reach grew through the 1980s and 1990s. It listed on the Nagoya Stock Exchange Second Section in 1981, the Tokyo Stock Exchange Second Section in 1987, and the first sections of both exchanges in 1988. In 1992 it changed its name to Aichi Corporation. It established a joint venture in China in 1995 and continued to develop specialized vehicles, including an electric aerial work platform prototype in 1996 and a vehicle for railway electrical work in 1997. The official history also records the introduction of a two-year warranty for certain principal models in 1997. A major ownership change followed a business and capital alliance with Toyota Industries Corporation in 2002. Toyota Industries made Aichi its subsidiary in 2003. In 2004, Aichi moved its headquarters to Ageo, Saitama Prefecture, and absorbed several group companies, including regional sales companies and Astech. A Chinese subsidiary, Zhejiang Aichi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd., was established in 2008. In 2010, Aichi absorbed Aichi Sharyo Kogyo and Rentec. The company recorded cumulative sales milestones of 150,000 units in 2005 and 200,000 units in 2012. Its present-day website continues to present aerial work platforms, bridge-inspection vehicles, pole-setting vehicles, customer support, leasing, used vehicles, and training as part of its business.

• 2012

  Marks its 50th anniversary and reaches cumulative sales of 200,000 units

• 2010

  Absorbs Aichi Sharyo Kogyo and Rentec

• 2008

  Establishes a subsidiary in China

• 2005

  Reaches cumulative sales of 150,000 units

• 2004

  Moves its headquarters to Ageo, Saitama Prefecture

• 2003

  Becomes a subsidiary of Toyota Industries Corporation

• 2002

  Signs a business and capital alliance with Toyota Industries Corporation

• 1997

  Develops a railway electrical-work vehicle and introduces a two-year warranty for certain major models

• 1996

  Develops an all-electric aerial work platform prototype

• 1995

  Establishes a joint venture in China

• 1992

  Changes its name to Aichi Corporation

• 1988

  Lists on the first sections of the Tokyo and Nagoya stock exchanges

• 1987

  Lists on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Second Section

• 1981

  Lists on the Nagoya Stock Exchange Second Section

• 1966

  Begins mass production of the AS-B4 aerial work platform

• 1965

  Develops its first aerial work platform

• 1964

  Develops the B5 digging and pole-setting vehicle

• 1963

  Develops a ladder truck

• 1962

  Aichi Sharyo founded in Nagoya; develops an A-type pole-setting vehicle

A specialist manufacturer of mechanized vehicles for safer and more efficient work, particularly in elevated, infrastructure, and utility settings.

• Truck-mounted aerial work platforms

  Aerial work platforms mounted on trucks.

• Self-propelled aerial work platforms

  Self-propelled platforms for elevated work.

• Bridge-inspection vehicles

  Specialized vehicles for bridge inspection work.

• Pole-setting and digging vehicles

  Specialized vehicles for pole-setting and related digging work.

1. 1Aichi Corporation official websiteaichi-corp.co.jp
2. 2Company historyaichi-corp.co.jp
3. 3The beginnings of Aichiaichi-corp.co.jp
4. 4Company informationaichi-corp.co.jp