Fuji Heavy Industries

Fuji Heavy Industries
Type Public KK (TYO: 7270)
Industry transportation equipment manufacturing
Founded Established 1953-07-15
Headquarters Tokyo, Japan
Key people Ikuo Mori, President and CEO
Products Subaru automobiles, aircraft, industrial engines, garbage trucks
Revenue ¥1494.8 billion (Apr.2006 to Mar.2007)
Net income increase ¥31.9 billion (Apr.2006 to Mar.2007)
Employees 15,000
Website http://www.fhi.co.jp/english

Fuji Heavy Industries, Ltd. (富士重工業株式会社 Fuji Jūkōgyō Kabushiki-gaisha?), or FHI, is a Japanese transportation conglomerate most known for being the manufacturer of Subaru automobiles. It traces its roots to the Nakajima Aircraft Company, a leading supplier of airplanes to the Japanese government during World War II. At the end of World War II, Nakajima was broken up by the Allied Occupation government, and by 1950 part of the separated operation was already known as Fuji Heavy Industries.

FHI was incorporated on July 15, 1953 when five Japanese companies, known as Fuji Kogyo, Fuji Jidosha Kogyo, Omiya Fuji Kogyo, Utsunomiya Sharyo and Tokyo Fuji Sangyo, joined to form one of Japan's largest manufacturers of transportation equipment. Currently, FHI employs more than 15,000 people worldwide, operates nine manufacturing plants and sells products in 100 countries. It currently makes Subaru brand cars, and its aerospace division makes parts for Boeing, helicopters for the Japanese Self Defense Force, Raytheon Hawker, and Eclipse Aviation business jets.

In 2003, the company adopted the logo of its Subaru division as its worldwide corporate symbol.[1]

Contents

Shareholders

From 1968 until 1999, FHI was 20% owned by Nissan, who acquired the stake in 1968 during a period of government-ordered merging of Japanese auto industry firms in order to improve competitiveness against foreign companies under the administration of Prime Minister Eisaku Satō. During their ownership, Nissan was primarily interested in its bus manufacturing division and lent automaking expertise to Subaru. Upon Nissan's acquisition by Renault, its 20% stake was sold to General Motors, but GM announced on October 6, 2005 that it will sell 8.4% of the company to Toyota and disposed of its remaining share.[2]

On April 10, 2008, Toyota increased its stake in FHI to 16.7% and announced the end of FHI minicar production at its facility in Gunma Prefecture. Daihatsu, a subsidiary of Toyota, will instead supply the cars to FHI.[3]

Divisions

FHI has four main divisions:

The company's four divisions all share their technological advancements with one another, which has made FHI a leader in innovation. In particular, they apply a great deal of their aircraft technology to their automotive division, the most notable example being the horizontally-opposed boxer engines used in all modern Subaru automobiles.

Leadership

Past presidents

Bus models

A 5E body with Isuzu Cubic chassis
A 7E body articulated bus with Volvo B10M chassis
A 1M body with Nissan Diesel Space Arrow chassis

References

External links