Obara Corporation

Welding Technology

Company

History

November	1955	Started business as a manufacturer of electrical contacts
December	1958	Established OBARA Engineering Products in Nihonbashi, Tokyo Started manufacture of resistance welding electrodes
April	1963	Nagoya Office
August	1966	Started manufacture of resistance welding guns and cables
October	1966	Osaka Office
February	1969	Moved head office to Nishirokugo, Tokyo
October	1970	Oyama Office
March	1971	Plant in Ayase, Kanagawa
		Established SpeedFam Co., Ltd. as a joint venture with SpeedFam USA
October	1976	Kyushu Office
December	1979	Started manufacture of arc welding equipment
March	1982	Started manufacture of transformers
May	1982	Started manufacture of controllers
August	1987	Established OBARA USA in Detroit
September	1987	Established OBARA Korea
October	1988	Plant in Cincinnati, USA
July	1990	New Plant in Yamanashi, Japan
August	1990	Hiroshima Office
September	1990	Established OBARA Malaysia
March	1994	Established a manufacturing plant in UK
May	1994	Moved Head Office to Ayase, Kanagawa
December	1994	Established OBARA Nanjing
December	1995	Acquired ISO 9001 certification
October	1996	OBARA USA became a local US company
		Established OBARA Thailand
March	1998	Expansion of Yamanashi Plant
June	1998	Became an OTC company at current JASDAQ Acquired PSL in order to start laser welding business
September	1999	Acquired Yoko Sangyo in Hiroshima, Japan
October	1999	Established OBARA Europe in UK
August	2000	Acquired 100% share of SpeedFam Co. Ltd.
September	2001	Established OBARA Shanghai
October	2002	Established OBARA Mexico
February	2003	Established OBARA Laser in Japan
August	2003	Established OBARA Australia
May	2005	OBARA Europe transformed to OBARA UK Branch
March	2006	Established OBARA India
August	2005	Listed at Tokyo Stock Exchange
February	2008	Estabulished OBARA Russia
March	2008	Oyama Office moved to Utsunomiya
March	2009	Acquired ISO 14001 certification
October	2011	Company renamed from "Obara Corporation” to “Obara Group Inc.” The company was split to a holding company and a newly established “Obara Corporation.”