SEIKI

What SEIKI does

SEIKI Co., Ltd. (正起金属加工株式会社) is a Japanese aluminum recycling company founded in 1914 and headquartered in Taketoyo Town, Aichi Prefecture. The company operates two principal business lines: (1) manufacture and sale of aluminum deoxidizers essential for blast furnace steelmaking, with products including recycled aluminum shot, pure aluminum processed goods, and aluminum can shredders; and (2) the CAN TO CAN recycling program, which converts used aluminum cans into regenerated ingots and processed materials for can production. Its core technology centers on a multi-step recycling process involving a 200-horsepower impact breaker to dismantle can bales, a 1,800mm-diameter combustion kiln extending 40 meters for paint and foreign material removal, and integrated dust collection systems. Combined monthly production capacity across three factories (Nagoya 1,500 tons, Kanto 1,800 tons, Oita 1,500 tons) totals 4,800 tons, with the Nagoya plant achieving a 98%+ recycling rate and supporting a one-hour just-in-time kanban-style delivery to Nippon Steel's adjacent Nagoya Works.

The company sells primarily to major Japanese blast furnace steel manufacturers under the Nippon Steel group (Hokkaido, Nagoya, Setouchi/Kure, and Kyushu Works), Nippon Steel Stainless Shunan Works, and Kobe Steel, plus aluminum can manufacturers for the CAN TO CAN line. Distribution is direct B2B enterprise field sales with no intermediaries; raw material procurement for aluminum scrap is conducted through the Hanwa Co., Ltd. trading group network, of which SEIKI became a consolidated subsidiary in October 2014 after a 2012 partial equity investment. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; contract economics reflect mission-critical continuous-supply arrangements supporting blast furnace campaigns that run approximately 10 years per cycle. The company employs 79 people as of July 2022 across its three factory sites plus a Hanwa Nagoya branch office, and the leadership team transitioned alongside the 2014 takeover with Sato Atsushi appointed Representative Director.

Name

SEIKI

Legal name

正起金属加工株式会社

Website

https://seiki-japan.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1914

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

SEIKI (正起金属加工株式会社) is a 110-year-old Japanese aluminum recycler that manufactures aluminum deoxidizers for major blast furnace steelmakers, principally the Nippon Steel group and Kobe Steel, and operates CAN TO CAN aluminum can recycling as a secondary line. A consolidated subsidiary of Hanwa Co., Ltd. since 2014.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Metals Recycling

NAICS

Secondary Smelting and Alloying of Aluminum (331314), Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing (33131)

SIC

Secondary Smelting & Refining Of Nonferrous Metals (3341), Primary Smelting & Refining Of Nonferrous Metals (3330)

akta.pro primary industry

Aluminum Scrap Collection, Sorting & Processing (IMAKACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Secondary Aluminum Smelting & Recycling (Remelt) (IMAKACAD), Metals Recycling & Processing (Ferrous/Non-Ferrous) (BPALADAF)

Keywords

• Aluminum recycling
• Steelmaking deoxidizer
• CAN TO CAN recycling
• Scrap metal processing
• Aluminum regeneration

Headquarters

HQ city

Chita

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Steelmaking Aluminum Deoxidizer Manufacturing and Sales: Manufactures and sells aluminum deoxidizers essential for steel production. Products include recycled aluminum 'shot', pure aluminum processed products, and aluminum can shredders. Products are supplied to major Japanese steel manufacturers including Nippon Steel group and Kobe Steel.
2. CAN TO CAN Aluminum Can Recycling: Recycles used aluminum cans into regenerated ingots and processed materials for aluminum can production. Production capacity at Kanto Factory is 300 tons/month of regenerated ingots and aluminum can pellets.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

SEIKI manufactures and sells aluminum deoxidizers essential for oxygen removal in molten iron during steelmaking, using recycled aluminum scrap and pure aluminum. It also operates a CAN TO CAN recycling business that converts used aluminum cans into regenerated ingots and processed materials for new aluminum can production.

Product overview

SEIKI operates as an aluminum recycling company with two main product lines: (1) Steelmaking aluminum deoxidizers including recycled aluminum shot, pure aluminum processed products, and aluminum can shredder materials; and (2) Aluminum can processing products under the CAN TO CAN recycling initiative, producing regenerated blocks and processed materials from used aluminum cans. The company manages all stages from raw material procurement to production and inventory to ensure stable supply and quality.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Recycled Aluminum Shot (再生アルミ「ショット」) Recycled aluminum shot manufactured by melting aluminum scrap generated from various manufacturing processes and consumer products, refining the composition, and casting into shapes and weights specified by customers. Used primarily as steelmaking aluminum deoxidizer for blast furnace steel producers.
• Pure Aluminum Processed Products (純アルミ「加工品」) Pure aluminum processed products made from primary aluminum wire (produced from bauxite ore via electrolysis) that is processed into granular form for steelmaking deoxidizer applications.
• Aluminum Can Shredder (アルミ「缶シュレッダー」) Aluminum can shredder material produced from used aluminum cans that would otherwise become general waste; cans are crushed, paint is removed, and material is processed into granular form for use as steelmaking deoxidizer.
• Regenerated Ingots / Reformed Blocks (再生塊) Large reformed blocks produced by melting and refining used aluminum cans to adjust composition, then casting into ingots; supplied as raw material for aluminum can production under the CAN TO CAN recycling initiative (300 tons/month at Kanto Factory).
• Processed Aluminum Can Products (加工品（アルミ缶用）) Processed aluminum can products made from used aluminum cans without melting; after thorough removal of foreign materials and paint, material is processed into granular or sheet form for use as aluminum can production raw material.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98%+ recycling rate - resources efficiently recycled with byproducts utilized as steelmaking materials
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Others

• Kobe Steel, Ltd. (Kobelco): Major Japanese steelmaker and confirmed SEIKI customer (aluminum/copper division). Relevant both as a downstream customer demonstrating SEIKI's commercial validation, and as an integrated metals producer with adjacent secondary-aluminum capabilities.
• Hanwa Co., Ltd. Major Japanese trading company and SEIKI's parent company since October 2014. Relevant as the controlling shareholder providing raw material procurement and sales channel access, rather than as a direct competitor — Hanwa is a metals trading conglomerate, not a smelter.

Direct peers

• Tachibana Metal Manufacturing Co., Ltd. Long-established Japanese aluminum recycling company producing secondary aluminum ingots and deoxidizer products for steelmakers. Comparable as a domestic, scrap-based secondary aluminum supplier competing for similar Japanese steel industry customers.
• Daiki Aluminium Industry Co., Ltd. Japanese secondary aluminum smelter producing aluminum alloys and deoxidizer-grade products from scrap. Closest direct comparable in scale and product mix — both firms convert aluminum scrap into steelmaking deoxidizer and recycled alloys for Japanese customers.
• Toyo Aluminium K.K. Japanese manufacturer of aluminum foil, powder, and paste using both primary and recycled feedstock. Comparable on the recycling and downstream aluminum processing side, though more diversified into higher-value specialty products than SEIKI.

Broad incumbents

• Nippon Light Metal Holdings Co., Ltd. Diversified Japanese aluminum producer spanning primary smelting, rolled products, and aluminum-related chemicals. Comparable industry incumbent in the Japanese aluminum value chain, though SEIKI focuses narrowly on secondary smelting and recycling.
• UACJ Corporation: Major Japanese aluminum manufacturer producing rolled, extruded, and cast products across primary and secondary aluminum. Comparable as a domestic aluminum industry incumbent, but with significantly broader product portfolio and far larger scale than SEIKI.
• Mitsui Mining & Smelting Co., Ltd. (Mitsui Kinzoku): Major Japanese non-ferrous metals producer covering zinc, copper, precious metals, and aluminum-related materials. Comparable as a diversified metals incumbent, though with much broader mineral and primary metals exposure than SEIKI's recycling focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 SEIKI