KYB

KYB traces its beginnings to November 1919, when founder Shiro Kayaba left Waseda University in Tokyo at the age of 21 and opened the Kayaba Research Center with 30 researchers. Kayaba Manufacturing Co., Ltd. was established in 1935. KYB now trades on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, with its head office in Tokyo.

The product range includes shock absorbers and suspension systems for automobiles, front forks and rear cushion units for motorcycles, vane pumps and power steering systems, and industrial hydraulic equipment such as cylinders, valves and pumps. KYB is the world's largest supplier of shocks and struts. Its Gifu North Plant, established in 1968, is the largest shock absorber factory in the world.

• Founded: 1919 as Kayaba Research Center
• Head office: Tokyo, Japan
• Makes: shock absorbers, struts, motorcycle forks, hydraulic equipment