TOKIN Corporation

TOKIN Corporation is a Japanese manufacturer of electronic, electrical, and automotive components. Established in 1938, the company developed as a supplier of components used in communications equipment, automotive systems, industrial machinery, and other electronic applications. Its product scope includes capacitors, inductors, electromagnetic-interference filters, sensors, and related component technologies. The company was formerly known as NEC TOKIN and operated as part of the NEC Group. Its corporate history reflects a transition from being controlled by NEC to becoming part of the KEMET organization. In February 2013, KEMET invested in the business to support expansion, initially acquiring a minority interest while NEC retained control. Following that investment, KEMET held 34 percent and NEC held 66 percent of the company. TOKIN later became the subject of a United States criminal antitrust proceeding concerning electrolytic-capacitor pricing. In September 2015, the company pleaded guilty to price fixing covering the period from 2002 through 2013 and was ordered to pay a US$13.8 million criminal fine. This episode is an important part of the company’s public corporate history and distinguishes its regulatory record from its product and ownership developments. In April 2017, KEMET acquired the remaining controlling interest and made TOKIN its wholly owned subsidiary. The company changed its name from NEC TOKIN to TOKIN Corporation after the transaction. Under KEMET ownership, TOKIN continued to operate as a component manufacturer serving Japanese and international markets. KEMET subsequently became part of Yageo, placing TOKIN within a broader global electronic-components group. TOKIN’s positioning is that of a specialized component supplier rather than a consumer-facing electronics brand. Its products are generally integrated into the equipment and systems of other manufacturers. The company’s relevance comes from component engineering, manufacturing capability, and application support in areas such as power management, signal integrity, noise suppression, sensing, communications, automotive electronics, and industrial equipment. Publicly available reference material identifies its major product families but does not provide a complete current catalog, detailed financial profile, or a verified list of current executives.

TOKIN Corporation traces its origins to 1938 and is associated with the development and manufacture of electronic and electrical components in Japan. The business became known as NEC TOKIN while operating within the NEC Group. Its manufacturing activities have included component families such as capacitors, inductors, filters, and sensors, with applications spanning communications, automotive electronics, industrial equipment, and other electronic systems. Unlike a consumer electronics company, TOKIN has primarily functioned as a business-to-business component supplier. Its products are generally incorporated into equipment made by other manufacturers. This gives the company a role in power conversion, signal transmission, electromagnetic-noise control, sensing, and vehicle or industrial-system electronics. The available reference material does not establish a complete chronology of individual factories, product introductions, or technology acquisitions, so those details are not included here. A major ownership change began in February 2013, when KEMET Corporation invested in NEC TOKIN. The transaction gave KEMET a 34 percent stake, while NEC retained a 66 percent controlling interest. The investment was described as providing capital for business expansion and marked the beginning of a closer corporate relationship between the two component manufacturers. The company also became involved in a United States antitrust matter concerning electrolytic capacitors. In September 2015, TOKIN pleaded guilty in a criminal case brought by the United States Department of Justice in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. The conduct covered the period from 2002 to 2013, and the company was ordered to pay a US$13.8 million fine. The case is the principal publicly documented scandal associated with the company in the supplied reference material. In April 2017, KEMET purchased the remaining controlling interest and made TOKIN a wholly owned subsidiary. Following completion of the acquisition, the company changed its name from NEC TOKIN to TOKIN Corporation. This ended its identity as an NEC-controlled operating company and aligned its corporate identity with KEMET’s ownership. TOKIN subsequently continued as a Japanese electronic-components manufacturer within the KEMET organization. KEMET later became part of Yageo, although the supplied material does not provide a detailed account of any resulting operational or branding changes at TOKIN. The company’s current public identity remains focused on industrial and automotive components, including capacitors, inductors, filters, and sensors. Public sources supplied for this entry do not provide verified current executive names, detailed current financial figures, or a comprehensive list of product-generation launches.

• 2017

  Full acquisition by KEMET and renaming

  [1]Tokin Corporationen.wikipedia.org

  KEMET acquired full ownership of the company, which changed its name from NEC TOKIN to TOKIN Corporation.

• 2015

  Antitrust guilty plea

  [1]Tokin Corporationen.wikipedia.org

  TOKIN pleaded guilty in the United States to electrolytic-capacitor price fixing covering 2002–2013 and was fined US$13.8 million.

• 2013

  KEMET takes a minority stake

  [1]Tokin Corporationen.wikipedia.org

  KEMET invested in NEC TOKIN and acquired a 34 percent interest, while NEC retained 66 percent control.

• 1938

  Company founded

  [1]Tokin Corporationen.wikipedia.org

  The business that became TOKIN Corporation was established in Japan.

Specialized Japanese supplier of electronic, electrical, and automotive components for communications, automotive, industrial, and other equipment manufacturers.

• Passive electronic components

  Capacitors

  TOKIN manufactures capacitor products for electrical energy storage, filtering, decoupling, and power-management applications. The publicly supplied material identifies electrolytic capacitors and multilayer ceramic capacitors among the company’s product areas. These components are intended primarily for integration into communications equipment, automotive systems, industrial electronics, and other manufactured devices.

• Passive electronic components

  Inductors

  Inductors are part of TOKIN’s electronic-component portfolio and are used in functions such as filtering, energy storage, impedance control, and power conversion. The available references do not specify a complete range of electrical ratings or current series names, but place the products within the company’s broader supply to communications, automotive, and industrial equipment manufacturers.

• Noise-suppression components

  EMI filters

  TOKIN’s EMI-filter products address electromagnetic interference and unwanted electrical noise in electronic systems. Such components are used to protect signal quality and support electromagnetic-compatibility requirements in equipment. The supplied dossier identifies EMI filters as a flagship offering, while detailed current product-family information is not available in the reference material.

• Electronic sensors

  Sensors

  Sensors are included among TOKIN’s typical products and extend the company’s portfolio beyond passive components. They support detection and measurement functions in industrial, automotive, communications, and other electronic applications. The supplied sources do not identify specific sensor technologies, product names, or launch dates.

• Automotive electronics

  Automotive components

  TOKIN supplies electronic and electrical components for automotive applications. These products may be incorporated into vehicle electrical and electronic systems, but the supplied references do not provide a verified breakdown of individual vehicle programs, component series, or original-equipment customers.

• 2015

  Electrolytic-capacitor price-fixing case

  TOKIN pleaded guilty in a United States criminal antitrust proceeding concerning the fixing of electrolytic-capacitor prices during the period from 2002 to 2013. The company was required to pay a US$13.8 million criminal fine.

  Source

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• 2017

  Become a wholly owned KEMET subsidiaryM&A

  Background

  KEMET moved from minority investment to control of the Japanese component manufacturer.

  Action taken

  KEMET acquired the remaining controlling interest, making TOKIN wholly owned and prompting the corporate name change from NEC TOKIN to TOKIN Corporation.

  Aftermath

  TOKIN continued operating as a Japanese component manufacturer within the KEMET organization rather than as an NEC-controlled company.

  Source

• 2013

  Accept minority investment from KEMETM&A

  Background

  NEC TOKIN sought capital to support expansion, and KEMET entered the ownership structure with a minority investment.

  Action taken

  KEMET acquired 34 percent of NEC TOKIN, while NEC retained a 66 percent controlling share.

  Aftermath

  The transaction established KEMET as a strategic investor and preceded its later acquisition of full ownership.

  Source

1. 1Tokin Corporationen.wikipedia.org
2. 2TOKIN Corporation official websitetokin.com