Swiss technology group Bühler is celebrating its 50th anniversary of establishing business in Japan, marking a half-century of successful partnerships and innovation in the food, feed, and advanced materials sectors.
To commemorate this milestone, Bühler K.K., the company’s Japanese subsidiary, hosted an event on November 19 in Tokyo, bringing together more than 100 distinguished customers from diverse industries.
The event featured presentations, innovation showcases, and panel-discussions with diverse partners from Japan’s ecosystem.
“Business development in Japan has always been pivotal to Bühler’s success and aligns seamlessly with our innovation goals,” said Mitsutami Maeda, managing director of Bühler K.K.
“The Japanese market’s quest for top quality and maturity challenges us to continually advance our technologies and services, ensuring we meet the high standards of our Japanese customers. Bühler Group’s commitment to innovation, excellence, and services drives us to not only meet these expectations but to set new benchmarks in the industry.”
Bühler has been a pioneer in serving the Japanese market since the turn of the 20th century, initially supplying automatic flour mills and solutions for the chocolate industry.
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In 1906, Bühler received its first order for a flour mill in Japan. Following World War II, Bühler’s close collaborations with trading houses facilitated steady growth in the region.
The 1972 acquisition of Miag GmbH led to the creation of a new organisation in Japan to better coordinate and strengthen Bühler’s expanding activities. Consequently, Bühler-Miag K.K. was founded in 1974, which soon became Bühler K.K.
Today, Bühler K.K. employs 85 dedicated professionals, serving customers throughout Japan. Bühler’s team in Japan has also been playing a key role in creating value by supporting Japanese customers in their international expansion projects.
Bühler is the leading choice in Japan, with over 95 per cent of chocolate processing companies and 90 per cent of flour milling companies – those that require large-scale equipment – using Bühler’s technology.
Throughout its history, Bühler has installed nearly 20,000 pieces of equipment for customers in the country, with 60 per cent coming from its Milling Solutions, Chocolate Mass, and Grinding & Dispersing technologies.
In recent years, Bühler has further expanded into the Japanese market, particularly in the automotive sector with high-end megacasting technologies.