Kowa Company, Ltd.

Corporate History

1894
Founded as a cotton cloth wholesaler in Naka-ku, Nagoya under the name of "Hattori Kanesaburo Wholesale Store."
1912
Hattori & Co., Ltd. incorporated.
1914
Launched cotton cloth manufacturing (a new Sakurada factory constructed in Naka-ku, Nagoya).
1919
Started spinning at Atsuta Factory.
1939
Separated the spinning division (current Kowabo Company, Ltd. )
from the trading division to establish Kaneka Hattori & Co., Ltd. (current Kowa Company, Ltd. )
1940
Company name changed to Hattori Co., Ltd.
1943
Company name changed to Kofuku Sangyo Co., Ltd.
1945
Branched out into the Industry and chemical field.
1946
Branched out into the optical equipment field; Gamagori Factory constructed.
1947
Branched out into the pharmaceutical field; Nagoya Factory constructed in Kita-ku, Nagoya.
1954
Head office moved to the present location.
Established Kowa Shinyaku Co., Ltd.
1960
Company name changed to Kowa Company, Ltd.
1964
Tokyo Research Laboratory (current Tokyo New Drug Research Laboratories) opened.
Fuji Factory constructed (drug production).
1986
Kowa Europe GmbH established.
1989
Kowa Asia Ltd. established.
1995
Hamamatsu Factory (for manufacture of medical devices) constructed.
1997
Kowa Research Institute, Inc. established.
1999
Kowa Research Europe, Ltd. established.
Through TOB, Nagoya Kanko Hotel Co., Ltd. became a subsidiary of Kowa Company, Ltd.
2003
Nikken Chemicals Co., Ltd. became a subsidiary of Kowa Company, Ltd. through acquisition of stock.
2006
Nikken Chemicals Co., Ltd. changed company name to Kowa Pharmaceutical Co.Ltd. (In Chuo-ku, Tokyo)
2008
Purchased ProEthic Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and changed its name to Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
2010
Maruei Department Store Co., Ltd. became a subsidiary of Kowa Company, Ltd. through acquisition of stock.
2013
Nagoya Castle Co., Ltd. became a subsidiary of Kowa Company, Ltd. through acquisition of stock.
2017
Emori & Co., Ltd. (current Kowa Emori Company, Ltd. ) became a subsidiary of Kowa Company, Ltd. through acquisition of stock.
2019
Kowa Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. (In Naka-ku, Nagoya) established.
Kowa Company, Ltd. merged Kowa Shinyaku Co., Ltd. and Kowa Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. (In Chuo-ku, Tokyo)
2020
Kowa Company, Ltd. merged Kowa Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. (In Nagoya, Aichi)
2021
Watabe Wedding Corporation became a subsidiary of Kowa Company, Ltd. through acquisition of stock.