As we commemorate the 90th anniversary of KYB Corporation on March 10th, along with the 20th anniversary of both KYB Middle East and Africa and KYB Asia Pacific, we reflect on the company’s history.
KYB traces its roots back to the Kayaba Research Centre, which was established in 1919. Shiro Kayaba, who was 21 when he founded the Centre, was a remarkable inventor. The Centre quickly grew to 30 researchers but sadly, the building burned to the ground in the tragic fires following the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923. Kayaba had no choice but to go to work for the Imperial Japanese Navy as an engineer to develop safety equipment, a role in which he succeeded in devising take-off and landing equipment for aircraft carriers. Before he developed his system, the machinery on the deck of the ship had to be operated by hand. Using a hydraulic system, Kayaba’s new equipment could be operated from the ship’s control room. This was the very first use of hydraulics for this purpose, and the beginning of Shiro Kayaba’s lifework.
In March 1930, Kayaba was visited by a British engineer who had come to settle a dispute he had with the Japanese patent office about hydraulic landing gear. After seeing Kayaba’s superior design, the British engineer abandoned his own design and word quickly spread about Kayaba’s. Orders flooded in from around the globe. This gave Kayaba enough funding to break away from the Navy and establish Kayaba Manufacturing Co., 90 years ago in 1935, the global company we know today as KYB.
Kayaba Manufacturing Co., Ltd., went on to devise numerous products. One of these, hydraulic buffers (oleo struts) for aircraft take-off and landing equipment, became the predecessor for the automotive shock absorbers which KYB started manufacturing in 1946. KYB has grown to become one of the world’s leading hydraulic manufacturers and one of the world’s leading original equipment suppliers to automotive companies across the globe, manufacturing over 1 million shock absorbers per week.
Current shock absorber technologies and developments continue to be groundbreaking, such as Intelligent Damping Control, Prosmooth and the revolutionary SustainaLub environmentally friendly hydraulic fluid.
One of the biggest success stories of KYB Corporation’s recent history is the establishment of KYB Middle East and Africa. Beginning 20 years ago in 2005 with just four customers, KYB MEA has transformed into a thriving hub that now proudly serves over 120 customers across the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia. This remarkable growth is a testament to the dedication, innovation, and unwavering commitment of the KYB team, partners, and customers.
KYB has had an aftermarket sales presence in Asia for many years, however the umbrella organisation for the region also celebrating it’s 20th anniversary is KYB Asia Pacific. This sales subsidiary has a head office located in Bangkok, Thailand. KYB Asia Pacific was the first aftermarket region to launch KYB steering parts.
KYB Europe has also continued to grow since it was established 36 years ago, with branches and representative offices in 9 countries. 170 Employees support aftermarket business for over 1,700 customers. It is the largest region in the global aftermarket for KYB, with just under 40% of all region sales.