NIC Corporation

What NIC Corporation does

NIC Corporation engages in the supply, import, and export of piping materials, iron materials, machinery, and industrial components in Japan, and the Middle and South America. It offers various vales, tubes, stainless steel lost wax casting products, stainless steel pipe fittings, and butt-welding fittings.

Name

NIC Corporation

Legal name

株式会社ニック (NIC CORPORATION)

Website

http://www.nic-corporation.com/

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

NIC Corporation engages in the supply, import, and export of piping materials, iron materials, machinery, and industrial components.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Osaka

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Trading Business (貿易事業): Import and export of piping materials, metal products, and industrial machinery. The company sources products from China, Vietnam, Taiwan, and worldwide markets to meet domestic Japanese market needs, while also supplying high-quality, high-value-added Japanese products to global markets.
2. Lost-wax Casting Manufacturing: Manufacturing and sales of stainless steel lost-wax precision cast products. The company operates joint venture factories in Vietnam, China, and Taiwan, offering integrated casting and machining services from mold production to finished products.
3. Agricultural Materials Business: Sales of agricultural machinery and materials. Products include seeding machines from Italy, baby leaf harvesters, transplanters, agricultural tools, seeds, and various agricultural supplies. Revenue comes from importing European agricultural equipment and selling cost-competitive products from Asian partner factories.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

NIC Corporation is a Japanese trading company with manufacturing capabilities (monozukuri shosha) that supplies stainless steel lost-wax precision cast products, pipe fittings, valves, and related industrial components from its joint venture factories in Vietnam, China, and Taiwan to Japanese and global manufacturers. The company also imports and distributes agricultural machinery and materials from European producers (Italy, France, Germany) for the Japanese agricultural market. It operates three divisions: Trading Division (industrial piping products), Lost-Wax Precision Casting Division (manufacturing), and Agricultural Materials & Machinery Division.

Product overview

NIC Corporation is a trading company with manufacturing capabilities (モノづくり商事), established in Osaka in 1969. The company operates three core business divisions: (1) Trading/import-export of valves, pipe fittings, pipes, hand tools, and industrial components with global manufacturers including KITZ; (2) Lost-wax precision casting manufacturing across three joint venture plants in Vietnam, China (Cangzhou), and Taiwan, producing stainless steel castings up to 100 kg (lost-wax) and sand castings up to 3,000 kg, including products like stainless steel pipe fittings, valve parts, machine parts, architectural hardware (door handles), and flexible unions; and (3) Agricultural materials and machinery division (established 2017) importing European agricultural equipment including Agricola Italiana seeders, HORTECH baby leaf harvesters/transplanters, Terrateck tools, TREFFLER weeders, and SPAPPERI machinery, while sourcing general agricultural materials from Asian factories. Related products include PVC compact ball valves, Teflon/PTFE resin products, cold drawn seamless tubes, vinyl-coated iron wire, and logistics materials (mesh pallets, iron containers). The company also offers OEM hand tool development with overseas factories.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Agriculture Materials Division (農業資材事業部): Agricultural materials division handling farm machinery, seeds, and agricultural supplies imported from Europe and produced in Asian cooperation factories

Products and services

• Cold Drawn Seamless Tubes Cold drawn seamless steel tubes for precision industrial applications.
• Flexible Tube Connection Fittings Flexible tube connection fittings for piping systems.
• PVC Compact Ball Valves PVC compact ball valves for industrial fluid control applications.
• Stainless Steel Flexible Unions Stainless steel flexible unions with 20+ years track record in NIC's product portfolio. Designed for pipe connection flexibility in industrial applications.
• Stainless Steel Lost-Wax Precision Cast Products Custom precision cast stainless steel products manufactured via a 13-step lost-wax process at NIC's Vietnam, China, and Taiwan factories. Units up to 100 kg. Complex shapes with thin walls; eliminates downstream welding and assembly by integrating multiple parts into single cast pieces. Sold to industrial manufacturers across multiple sectors.
• Valves (KITZ-Branded and Other Brands) Distribution of KITZ-branded valves plus valves from other leading manufacturers globally, supplied to Japanese industrial customers. NIC also serves as KITZ agency for Central and South America markets.
• Stainless Steel Pipe Fittings Stainless steel pipe fittings for industrial piping applications. NIC's Cangzhou-based partner factory holds the No. 1 position in the area for OEM threaded pipe fittings exported worldwide.
• Butt-Welding Fittings Butt-welding pipe fittings for high-pressure and industrial piping systems.
• Pipe Products (Seamless and Welded) Seamless pipes and electric resistance welded pipes for industrial applications.
• Stainless Steel Door Handles (Lost-Wax Cast) Stainless steel door handles manufactured via lost-wax precision casting at NIC's Vietnam factory. Complex-shaped architectural hardware with corrosion resistance and aesthetic finish for building hardware manufacturers.
• Resin Products (PTFE, PCTFE, PFA) PTFE (Teflon), PCTFE, and PFA resin products for piping applications and semiconductor-related fields. NIC has handled PTFE seal tape for over 20 years.
• Hand Tools (OEM) OEM hand tools manufactured via lost-wax casting and other processes for tool brands.
• Logistics Materials Logistics materials distributed as part of the trading division portfolio.
• Lost-Wax Casting Contract Manufacturing Service OEM lost-wax casting contract manufacturing service offered via joint venture factories in Vietnam, China, and Taiwan. Includes in-house mold production, casting, and machining. Supports stainless steel, carbon steel, FC/FCD cast iron, and aluminum alloy. Production capacity includes units up to 100 kg via lost-wax and up to 3,000 kg via sand casting.
• Agricola Italiana Seeders Italian-made seeders imported from Agricola Italiana for Japanese farmers and agricultural operations.
• HORTECH Baby Leaf Harvester & Transplanter French-made HORTECH baby leaf harvesters and transplanters imported for Japanese agricultural producers.
• Bed Shaping Machines Bed shaping machines for agricultural field preparation, distributed to Japanese farming operations.
• Terrateck Agricultural Tools French-made Terrateck hand tools and agricultural equipment for Japanese farmers.
• Baby Leaf and Vegetable Seeds Imported baby leaf and vegetable seeds for Japanese agricultural producers.
• Vinyl House Pipes Vinyl house (greenhouse) pipes for Japanese agricultural greenhouse construction.
• Multi-Sheet (Mulch Film) Multi-sheet mulch films for agricultural cultivation, distributed to Japanese farmers.
• TREFFLER Weeders German-made TREFFLER precision weeders for mechanical weed control in organic and conventional farming, imported for Japanese agricultural producers.
• SPAPPERI Agricultural Machinery Italian-made SPAPPERI agricultural machinery, including specialty tillage and crop production equipment, imported for Japanese farming operations.
• Quick Cut Harvester Quick Cut Harvester imported for Japanese farmers, enabling efficient harvesting of leafy greens and specialty crops.
• Vinyl-Coated Iron Wire Vinyl-coated iron wire for agricultural and industrial binding and fastening applications.

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• TREFFLERminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 17 February 2026German agricultural machinery manufacturer. NIC Corporation began handling TREFFLER's weeding machines and weeders. Products are sized optimally for Japanese farmers and can be customized according to requirements.
• SPAPPERIminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 10 July 2025Italian agricultural machinery manufacturer. SPAPPERI produces custom-made transplanters, weeding machines, and harvesting belt conveyors. NIC handles their products for the Japanese market.
• Agricola ItalianaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorItalian seeding equipment manufacturer and leading company inSeeder technology. Produces vacuum seeders and high-density seeders with craftsman spirit. Most components manufactured in-house.
• HORTECHminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorItalian baby leaf and seedling transplant machinery manufacturer. Known for technological innovation and baby leaf harvesting machines with high market share in Europe. Products include bed formers, harvesters, hoovers, and transplanters.
• TerrateckminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFrench agricultural equipment manufacturer specializing in environmentally-conscious weeding machines and harvesters. Highly rated by organic farmers. Products include quick-cut harvesters and various weeding tools.
• KITZcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKITZ Corporation - NIC serves as their Central and South America agency for valve products. Imports and exports various valve products.
• Vietnam Joint Venture FactorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture factory in Vietnam producing lost-wax precision cast products. Adjacent to SUS pipe factory for raw material supply. Expanded and relocated in 2022. Now capable of mold production in-house.
• China Joint Venture Factory (Cangzhou)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture factories in Cangzhou, Hebei Province. Factory 1 (casting) and Factory 2 (machining) produce 150 tons/month. Recognized as model factory for environmental measures. No.1 in Cangzhou area for OEM threaded pipe fittings.
• Taiwan Partner FactorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term cooperative partner factory in Taiwan. Specializes in high-quality, small-lot, multi-variety production. Sales history with major Japanese valve manufacturers and European markets. Capable of cast steel production.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• KITZ Corporation: Major Japanese industrial valve manufacturer. NIC is KITZ's Central/South America agent and produces cast valve components used in KITZ products, making KITZ both a customer and a supplier relationship anchor for NIC's industrial business.
• Pacific Industries Co., Ltd. Japanese precision casting and stamping company with foundry operations similar to NIC's lost-wax/investment casting line. Both serve Japanese automotive and industrial customers with cast components, making them direct competitors in the Mid-Japan precision casting market.
• Impro Precision Industries Limited: Hong Kong-listed precision investment casting company with major production in China. Direct competitor in lost-wax casting for automotive, valve, and machinery components, with overlapping customer base in the Japanese export market.
• Treffler Maschinenbau: German agricultural machinery manufacturer whose weeding machines NIC distributes in Japan. NIC handles TREFFLER as a distribution partner, making TREFFLER a peer-as-vendor and an indicator of NIC's agricultural machinery sourcing strategy.

Broad incumbents

• Hanwa Co., Ltd. Mid-sized Japanese trading company (sogo shosha) focused on metals, industrial machinery, and overseas procurement. Operates a similar 'monozukuri shosha' model with overseas manufacturing partners, but at much larger scale.
• MISUMI Group Inc. Japanese manufacturer and distributor of factory automation, mechanical components, and industrial parts. Comparable in serving industrial buyers with mission-critical parts, though MISUMI is catalog-driven and direct-to-customer at much larger scale.
• Daido Steel Co., Ltd. Japanese specialty steel manufacturer producing high-grade stainless steel, tool steel, and casting products. Overlaps with NIC's stainless steel casting/fitting business as a competitor and a supplier of raw materials.
• Sumitomo Corporation: One of Japan's largest sogo shosha. While much broader, Sumitomo competes with NIC in overseas procurement of industrial machinery, metal products, and pipes for Japanese manufacturers.

Emerging players

• Hijiri Manufacturing Co., Ltd. Japan-based precision casting and machined parts manufacturer with overseas production presence. Competes with NIC in supplying stainless steel precision cast components to Japanese industrial customers.

Regional players

• CIE Automotive: Spanish multinational automotive and industrial components supplier with significant precision casting/forging operations. Comparable in lost-wax and machined component manufacturing but focused on European automotive and industrial OEMs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@user-qx1np7sd5x
• Facebookfacebook.com/株式会社ニック-農業資材事業部-100461998188882

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries3 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 NIC Corporation