Our Story

The merging of two companies into NPK

In 1916, at the age of 21, the late founder of NPK, Eimatsu Kotone, founded Kotone Seisakusho, which manufactured chemical storage tanks and chemical industrial machinery.

This was the beginning of NPK as we know it today.

From the Taisho era until the beginning of the Showa era, the world suffered through World War I, the Great Depression, and World War II as well. During this time, Kotone Seisakusho was small, but steadily growing its customer base.

In 1923, another company from which NPK has its roots, Nippon Pneumatic Kogyosho, was founded and then reorganized into Nippon Pneumatic Kogyo, or NPK, in the year 1938. The owner of Nippon Pneumatic Kogyo at the time requested that Eimatsu Kotone participate in the management of the company. In 1942, Eimatsu Kotone was appointed as the representative director of Nippon Pneumatic Kogyo.

In 1945, following the devastation of World War II, Kotone Seisakusho and Nippon Pneumatic Kogyo merged into the company we know today.

In the following 10 years, NPK focused on manufacturing chemical tanks and air tools. At the same time, NPK also looked into other areas of possibility. 

The world's first large pneumatic hammer, the IPH, and the beginning of Powdered Chemical Machinery Sales

In the 1940s and 50s, Japan entered a period of rapid growth due to increasing demand from Korea. Many industries began mass production, but the labor market couldn’t meet the demand. As the need for automation increased, NPK began to manufacture machines to meet this demand, including synthetic film paper-making machines.

These machines were a staple of NPK’s business.

During this period, NPK also released a product which foreshadowed our entry into the construction equipment business. 

This product was the world’s first large pneumatic hammer, the IPH. 

The IPH was used for large scale projects, such as the World Expo in Japan, and its power showed what NPK products were capable of.

In addition to the IPH, NPK developed a revolutionary method of pulverizing pharmaceuticals. The traditional method of pulverization generated significant heat and could lower the effectiveness of medicines. NPK’s method involved the use of compressed area which would not generate the same level of heat. After 10 years of development, NPK created the supersonic jet pulverizer, which reduces substances to micron sized granules with supersonic compressed air. 

This was the beginning of our powdered chemical machinery business.

Acclamation and Overseas Expansion

Beginning in 1972, Japanese experienced a construction boom. In response to this, NPK released a large hydraulic breaker, the HPH.

The HPH resulted in significantly improved efficiency in road construction and other projects. Thanks to the HPH, NPK received an award from the Japan Invention Association.

In the chemical machinery business, NPK developed a micron-scale chemical separator.

This high precision piece of machinery, the “dispersion separator”, was awarded with the Excellent Product Award by the Chemical Engineering Association and the Japan Efficiency Association. 

This period not only resulted in the development of products that were the foundation of our current construction and chemical equipment business, but also resulted in our overseas expansion.

NPK had exported pneumatic breakers and air tools through trading companies, however, in 1978, our first overseas base was established in The Netherlands. Then, in 1985, a subsidiary of NPK was established in the United States.

Although progress at the time was difficult, business operations in Europe and the United States are very successful today.

NPK continues to contribute

From our founding period to the present, the products and specialties of our company have changed. Still, NPK’s ideals have been passed down from our founder to each employee with us today.

NPK continues to respect its roots as a manufacturing company and develop unique products which meet customer needs.  NPK employees in our construction equipment, chemical equipment, and air tool divisions will continue to work on product development, improvement, and after-sales service for our customers around the world.

In the United States, where competition is fierce, NPK salesman are working hard to demonstrate the capabilities of NPK products.

In the Czech Republic, NPK has more than 100 employees and counting. In addition, NPK has employees in the Middle East, a promising market. Working together with NPK Japan staff, machinery operators in Shanghai are also being trained.

In an era of globalization which many could never imagine, NPK will continue to contribute to our customers and society through our worldwide network.