About VESSEL

The Company

VESSEL is a leading fastening tool manufacturer. Our Founder’s Policy of “singleness of purpose” has been passed down to the present day, its undiminished relevance apparent in our dedication to the principles of high quality, fair pricing, new product development, and customer satisfaction.

Innovation

We believe our mission is to develop new products and bring them to market faster than other companies. To fulfill this mission, the VESSEL Group has implemented a division of labor among plants so that each facility specializes in a single product type, and we strive to develop new technologies under a clear system of responsibility. Inspiration from the market helps create new concepts as we continuously develop highly original new products.

Environmental responsibility

Operating in the midst of a constantly changing social environment requires us to face new issues continuously. One of these issues is the need to take action to reduce the environmental footprint of our operations and products. We have launched a number of corporate activities focusing on complying with the requirements of green procurement and RoHS directives, lengthening product lifetimes, using recycled materials, designing products for easy post-use resource recovery and recycling, and saving resources.

Quality and Brand	VESSEL products have consistently met strict quality requirements as professional tools. Over more than 90 years of history, this rock-solid commitment to quality has anchored our operations. 　VESSEL Mark of Quality

Design	Products must not only deliver the required functionality, but also conform to the human hand for maximum comfort and ease of use. In terms of design, we strive to create products that all customers will find pleasant and comfortable—from first-time users to professionals who make a living with our tools every day.

Safety	VESSEL designs products to ensure the health and safety of users and those around them. The design process includes risk assessments addressing such areas of concern as machine safety, vibration, noise, and electric shock as well as a full regimen of safety evaluation testing.

 The History

VESSEL was founded in 1916 as Japan’s first volume manufacturer of screwdrivers. With most ironworks at the time producing agricultural implements such as spades and hoes, the young company put in place a mass production system specialized for the manufacture of screwdrivers for industrial applications and began supplying its products to the market.

Founding

Japan’s first domestically produced screwdriver and the VESSEL brand Screwdrivers were typically included with industrial machinery such as spinning machines. VESSEL set out to create an originally designed, domestically produced screwdriver to compete with these overseas products. In 1933, the company began emblazoning its products with the brand “VESSEL,” meaning a large ship in English, as a signifier of their superior quality.

Growth

Streamlining operations at assembly plants with pneumatic screwdrivers and bits The Japanese economy embarked on a period of rapid growth starting in the 1950s. VESSEL began production of bits for pneumatic tools on a significant scale in 1954 based on expectations of dramatic growth in demand for pneumatic drivers and bits. Four years later, the company launched its first impact driver, helping to streamline operations at assembly worksites nationwide.

Expansion	VESSEL as a supplier of every type of screwdriver VESSEL established the three pillars of its business: screwdrivers; bits; and pneumatic tools, including the air impact wrenches it began producing in 1967. During this period, the company successfully staked out a position as a leading manufacturer of fastening tools.

Reorganization

Embracing the challenge of expanding into a broad range of industrial fields VESSEL reacted to the first oil shock in 1973 by moving beyond a screwdriver-centric management philosophy and accelerating efforts to develop products in new fields so that its fortunes would not be affected by the vagaries of the global economy. The company launched products such as air nippers and microgrinders and developed QSYSTEM, a “take-a-number” line management system for facilities such as banks and hospitals.

VESSEL Mark of Quality

A single screwdriver may be used to tighten thousands or tens of thousands of screws. Our uncompromising approach to manufacturing and craftsmanship and our stubborn commitment to quality underpin a philosophy that lives on in each and every tool we make. Today, this philosophy is being carried on in completely new fields by products such as anti-theft and static electricity elimination equipment.

	Timeline
	1916		Ginosuke Taguchi founds Taguchi Tekkosho.
	1933		Taguchi registers the VESSEL trademark.
	1948		Nihon Nejimawashi Co., Ltd., is established (present-day VESSEL Industrial Co., Inc.).
	1950		Nihon Nejimawashi Co., Ltd., begins manufacturing Phillips head screwdrivers.
	1962		VESSEL Kogu Co., Ltd., is established (present-day VESSEL Co., INC.).
			Teruo Taguchi assumes the position of president and CEO.
	1965		Tokyo Office (present-day Tokyo Branch) opens.
	1966		Nagoya Office opens.
	1968		Fukuoka Satellite Office (present-day Fukuoka Office) opens.
			Sapporo Satellite Office opens.
	1969		Kyodo Kosan Co., Ltd. founded (present-day Vessel Distribution Center Co., Ltd.).
	1970		Hiroshima Satellite Office opens.
	1972		Sendai Satellite Office opens.
	1974		Company name changed to Vessel Co., Inc.
	1980		“GREEN” Home Center Fukuchiyama opens.
	1982		“GREEN” Home Center Hashimoto opens.
			Vessel marks the 20th anniversary of its founding.
	1987		Vessel enters into a sales alliance with Sweden’s Q-Matic.
	1992		Vessel marks the 30th anniversary of its founding.
	1996		Junichi Taguchi assumes the position of president and CEO.
	2005		France Liaison Office opens.
	2009		New office building for the Q-system department was complete.
	2010		Distribution center buildings and facilities were extended.
	2010		VESSEL EUROPE SARL is established.