Showa Seiko

What Showa Seiko does

Showa Seiko Co., Ltd. (昭和精工株式会社) is a private Japanese metalworking manufacturer founded in July 1961 by Shoichi Ueno in Sakai City, now headquartered at 20-2 Rinkai-cho, Kishiwada City, Osaka. The company produces integrated bearing parts (tapered roller bearings, deep groove ball bearings, ball bearings), automotive components — most notably metal-and-resin composite reduction gears for electric power steering (EPS) plus rack stoppers, valve bodies, pulleys, sleeves, hub clutches, and lower shafts — and custom production machinery. Its customer base spans automotive OEMs and tier-1 suppliers as the primary segment, plus secondary verticals including aerospace, railway, wind energy, medical devices, machine tools, steel, construction and agricultural machinery, office equipment, and (since 2024) semiconductor manufacturing equipment. The company is led by President Ueno Norihito (植野 徳仁) and operates as a founder-family-controlled private kabushiki kaisha with stated capital of 80 million JPY and approximately 1,000 employees across the consolidated group (511 domestic + 379 overseas as of April 2021).

The company's flagship capability is an integrated forging-to-turning single-line production system (鍛旋一貫加工) introduced in 1970, in which tapered roller bearing inner-race bores and outer-race raceways are finished by cold forming alone, eliminating dedicated turning operations. The bearing ring flow comprises seven proprietary steps: hot forging of blanks, continuous non-oxidation annealing, shot blasting, rough turning, bonderite (phosphate) treatment, cold forging, and finish turning. A 1,000-ton vertical warm/cold forging press was added at Showa Forge in 2018 to expand capacity. Group companies Showa Tech and Showa Tool Tech design and build NC lathes, jigs, tooling, and full production lines in-house, providing engineering that is also sold to outside customers as bespoke machinery. At the Kaizuka Plant (Showa Steer Tech), reduction gears are produced through a cross-industry joint venture with an MC nylon maker and a heat-treat maker that consolidates press-fit, fusion, and machining in a single line.

Showa Seiko is a pure B2B industrial supplier; pricing is quote-based and negotiated per customer, with inquiries handled via phone (072-436-1848), fax, and contact form rather than self-service. Reported consolidated group annual sales are approximately 18.8 billion JPY domestic and 6.4 billion JPY overseas, totaling roughly 25.2 billion JPY. The production footprint spans nine sites: six domestic (Kishiwada HQ/Forge, Chikiri, Kaizuka, Koki, Hashimoto, Taiyo, plus Osaka Fine Plus in Higashiosaka and the upcoming Kei Tech in Izumi) and three overseas — three entities in Changshu, China and Advanced Green Components in Winchester, Kentucky. Growth has been driven by M&A: Advanced Green Components (2013) added the U.S. footprint, Taiyo Seiko (2019) added bearing-steel pipe cutting, and Osaka Fine Plus (2024) added plastic injection molding for semiconductor and medical-device customers. The group is ISO 9001-certified (JMAQA-794, since October 2000) and ISO 14001-certified (JMAQA-E776, since March 2009), maintains a compliance charter with an external whistleblower hotline (October 2022), and operates under a published Information Security Basic Policy (December 2023).

Name

Showa Seiko

Legal name

Showa Seiko Co., Ltd. (昭和精工株式会社)

Website

https://showaseiko-osaka.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Private Japanese metalworking manufacturer (founded 1961, Osaka) producing integrated forged-and-turned bearing parts, automotive reduction gears for electric power steering, and custom production-line machinery for OEM customers across automotive, aerospace, rail, wind, medical, and machine-tool industries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Kishiwada

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Bearing parts sales (Tapered roller bearing rings, deep groove ball bearings, etc.): Core product line of bearing parts (inner/outer rings, races) produced via integrated forging-to-turning manufacturing; sold to bearing assemblers and OEMs. Recruit-site infographics show domestic annual sales of ~18.8 billion yen and overseas ~6.4 billion yen for the consolidated group.
2. Automotive parts (reduction gears, rack stoppers, valve bodies, pulleys, sleeves, hub clutches, lower shafts): Sales of metal-and-resin composite reduction gears and other steering/drivetrain components for electric power steering (EPS) and related automotive applications; integrated production (press-fit, fusion, machining) at Kaizuka Plant.
3. Custom machinery and production-line engineering services: Order-made machining equipment, special-purpose machines, cold-forging dies, collet chucks, jigs, and full production lines built by group companies Showa Tech and Showa Tool Tech; sold to outside customers using the engineering know-how developed for internal plants.
4. Plastic injection molded components (semiconductor and medical-device parts): Plastic injection molding sold to semiconductor equipment and medical device manufacturers, produced at Osaka Fine Plus (acquired via M&A in 2024).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Showa Seiko manufactures bearing parts (tapered roller bearings, deep groove ball bearings, ball bearings) and automotive parts (reduction gears for electric power steering, plus rack stoppers, valve bodies, pulleys, sleeves, hub clutches, lower shafts) using a vertically integrated forging-to-turning production system. Through group companies, it also produces custom production machines, special-purpose machines, cold forging dies, collet chucks, jigs, and full custom production lines, which it sells to outside customers using its in-house engineering know-how.

Product overview

Showa Seiko operates a single integrated manufacturing portfolio organized around three core product lines rather than a software-style platform-plus-modules architecture. The flagship Bearing Parts line (deep groove ball bearings, tapered roller bearings, ball bearings) is produced through a fully integrated hot-forging + turning system that controls the entire chain from material cutting to finish turning. The Automotive Parts line builds on the same metalworking foundation to produce EPS reduction gears (in a cross-industry joint venture at the Kaizuka factory) plus rack stoppers, valve bodies, pulleys, sleeves, hub clutches, and lower shafts. The Various Machine Manufacturing line (via group company Showa Tec) supplies made-to-order production machines, cold forging dies, collet chucks, and full custom production lines, effectively making Showa Seiko both a manufacturer of bearings and automotive parts and a supplier of the machinery used to make them. Production spans nine domestic and overseas sites (Kishiwada, Chikiri, Kaizuka, Koki, Hashimoto, Taiyo, Osaka Fine Plus, K-Tech, China factory under 常熟翔和/翔輪/翔刃精工, and Advanced Green in Kentucky, USA).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Advanced Green Components: US (Kentucky) tapered roller bearing production entity acquired in 2013, marketed separately from the Showa Seiko brand.
• Osaka Fine Plus (大阪ファインプラス)
• Keitec (ケイテック)

Products and services

• Bearing Parts (ベアリングパーツ) Showa Seiko's flagship product line: tapered roller bearings (TRB), deep groove ball bearings, and ball bearing inner/outer rings, produced through a fully integrated forging-to-turning manufacturing system covering material cutting, hot forging, continuous non-oxidation annealing, shot blasting, rough turning, bonderite (phosphate) treatment, cold forging, and finish turning. Sold to bearing assemblers and industrial OEMs across automotive, aerospace, rail, wind energy, medical, machine tool, steel, construction, agriculture, and office equipment verticals.
• Automotive Parts - Reduction Gears for Electric Power Steering (リダクションギア) Metal-and-resin composite reduction gears for electric power steering (EPS) systems, manufactured through an integrated process combining press-fitting, fusion bonding, and machining. Produced at the Kaizuka Plant via a joint venture with an MC nylon manufacturer and a heat-treatment maker.
• Other Automotive Parts (rack stoppers, valve bodies, pulleys, sleeves, hub clutches, lower shafts) Additional turned automotive components — rack stoppers, valve bodies, pulleys, sleeves, hub clutches, and lower shafts — produced alongside reduction gears to support vehicle drivetrain and steering systems.
• Custom Machine Manufacturing (各種機械製造) Made-to-order production machinery and tooling built in-house by group company Showa Tech: single-function machines, integrated reduction-gear production equipment, special-purpose machines, cold forging dies, collet chucks, jigs, and other setup parts. Leverages decades of internal plant engineering know-how.
• Custom Production Lines & Process Design (生産ライン・生産工程のオーダーメイド) End-to-end design, simulation, and construction of high-efficiency custom production lines and processes for outside customers, using internally proven manufacturing know-how.
• Plastic Injection Molding (大阪ファインプラス) Plastic resin injection molding for semiconductor manufacturing equipment and medical device components, produced at the Higashiosaka-based Osaka Fine Plus site acquired via M&A in 2024.

Quantifiable outcome

• Consolidated group annual sales: ~18.8 billion yen domestic + ~6.4 billion yen overseas (~25.2 billion yen total)
• +5 more outcomes

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Wakayama Prefecture (和歌山県)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerShowa Seiko participates in Wakayama Prefecture's '中核産業人材確保強化のための奨学金返還助成制度' (Nuclear Industry Human Resource Securing & Strengthening Scholarship Return Support Program) to help science/engineering university graduates repay student loans. The program supports R&D and technical recruiting via co-marketing with the prefecture's portal.
• MC Nylon manufacturer partner (unnamed)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partner at the Kaizuka Plant (Showa Steertech) enabling integrated reduction gear production that combines press-fit, fusion, and machining steps in one line. The MC nylon maker supplies resin components for the composite metal-resin reduction gears used in electric power steering.
• Heat treatment manufacturer partner (unnamed)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partner at the Kaizuka Plant (Showa Steertech) for reduction gear production. Combined with the MC nylon maker, this joint venture allows Showa Seiko to consolidate press-fit, fusion, and machining in a single line — replacing what was previously done by three separate specialty suppliers and dramatically improving production efficiency.
• Ikeuchi Sogo Law Office (弁護士法人 池内総合法律事務所)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOperates the external (third-party) compliance reporting hotline for Showa Seiko Group business partners and suppliers, providing an independent channel for reporting suspected compliance violations in procurement/service contracting. Contact TEL 072-422-4739 (weekdays 9:00–17:00), email [email protected].

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• NTN Corporation: Major Japanese manufacturer of ball and roller bearings, constant-velocity joints, and precision equipment. Directly comparable to Showa Seiko in tapered roller bearing rings, ball bearings, and integrated forging-to-finish production; NTN operates at much greater scale and serves overlapping automotive, industrial, and rail customers.
• NSK Ltd. Global Japanese bearing manufacturer with a full product line of ball bearings, roller bearings, and steering components. Comparable to Showa Seiko across deep groove ball bearings, tapered roller bearings, and EPS-related component supply to automotive OEMs.
• JTEKT Corporation: Japanese manufacturer of bearings (Koyo brand) and steering systems, including EPS components. Direct overlap with Showa Seiko's bearing rings and reduction gear offering for automotive steering applications.
• Nachi-Fujikoshi Corporation: Japanese manufacturer of bearings, cutting tools, and hydraulic equipment. Comparable product mix to Showa Seiko's bearing parts and cutting blade/tooling businesses via Showa Tool Tech.
• Minebea Mitsumi Inc. Japanese manufacturer of miniature ball bearings, motors, and electronic components. Comparable in ball bearing production technology and global manufacturing footprint, though at materially larger scale.
• Mando Corporation: Korean automotive parts supplier specializing in brakes, steering (including EPS), and suspension. Comparable in EPS system and steering component supply to global automotive OEMs; significant direct competitor to Showa Seiko's reduction gear business.

Broad incumbents

• Timken Company: US-based global manufacturer of engineered bearings, power transmission products, and related services. Comparable in tapered roller bearings and industrial bearing supply, with a broader product portfolio and global brand presence.
• SKF Group: Swedish global leader in bearings, seals, and lubrication systems. Comparable in ball and roller bearings across automotive, industrial, and aerospace verticals; broader scope and substantially larger than Showa Seiko.

Regional players

• THK Co., Ltd. Japanese manufacturer of linear motion guides, ball screws, and related components. Adjacent in precision motion components and serves overlapping machine tool and industrial automation customers.
• KYB Corporation: Japanese manufacturer of hydraulic and steering components, including EPS systems and shock absorbers. Comparable as a Japanese-domestic automotive steering component peer serving overlapping OEM customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/showaseiko

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Showa Seiko