--- title: MBL (USA) | Our History description: Discover the rich history of Mitsuboshi Belting Ltd. from its founding in 1919 to its 100th anniversary in 2019 and beyond. --- [Skip to content](https://www.mblusa.com/history#main-content) - - [mailto:mblusa.sales@mitsuboshi.com](mailto:mblusa.sales@mitsuboshi.com) - - [E-COMMERCE](https://ecommerce.mblusa.com/my-account/login/)        [AUTO BELT SEARCH](https://www.showmetheparts.com/mbl/) [![Mitsuboshi Logo](https://www.mblusa.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Mitsuboshi%20Long%20Logo%20Blue%20Web-1.png?width=325&height=37&name=Mitsuboshi%20Long%20Logo%20Blue%20Web-1.png "Mitsuboshi Logo")](https://www.mblusa.com?hsLang=en) - [About Us](https://www.mblusa.com/mitsuboshi_belting_ltd#about_us) Show submenu for About Us - [Our Company](https://www.mblusa.com/mitsuboshi_belting_ltd) - [Our History](https://www.mblusa.com/history) - [Join Us](https://www.mblusa.com/careers) - [News & Insights](https://www.mblusa.com/mbl-usa-corporation-news) - [Products](https://www.mblusa.com/products) Show submenu for Products - [By Categories](https://www.mblusa.com/products#by_catagories) - [By Transmission Type](https://www.mblusa.com/products#by_transmission_type) - [By Application](https://www.mblusa.com/products#by_application) - [Industries](https://www.mblusa.com/products#by_application) Show submenu for Industries - [Agriculture](https://www.mblusa.com/agriculture) - [Automotive](https://www.mblusa.com/automotive) - [Heavy Duty](https://www.mblusa.com/heavy_duty) - [Industrial](https://www.mblusa.com/industrial) - [Lawn & Garden](https://www.mblusa.com/lawnandgarden) - [Recreational](https://www.mblusa.com/powersports) - [Resources](https://www.mblusa.com/resources) - [Careers](https://www.mblusa.com/careers) - [Contact Us](https://www.mblusa.com/service/contact/#contact_us) Show submenu for Contact Us - [North & South America](https://www.mblusa.com/service/contact/) - [Japan](https://www.mitsuboshi.com/english/inquiry/form_general/) - [Europe](https://www.mitsuboshi.de/en/contact/) - [About Us](https://www.mblusa.com/mitsuboshi_belting_ltd#about_us) Show submenu for About Us - [Our Company](https://www.mblusa.com/mitsuboshi_belting_ltd) - [Our History](https://www.mblusa.com/history) - [Join Us](https://www.mblusa.com/careers) - [News & Insights](https://www.mblusa.com/mbl-usa-corporation-news) - [Products](https://www.mblusa.com/products) Show submenu for Products - [By Categories](https://www.mblusa.com/products#by_catagories) - [By Transmission Type](https://www.mblusa.com/products#by_transmission_type) - [By Application](https://www.mblusa.com/products#by_application) - [Industries](https://www.mblusa.com/products#by_application) Show submenu for Industries - [Agriculture](https://www.mblusa.com/agriculture) - [Automotive](https://www.mblusa.com/automotive) - [Heavy Duty](https://www.mblusa.com/heavy_duty) - [Industrial](https://www.mblusa.com/industrial) - [Lawn & Garden](https://www.mblusa.com/lawnandgarden) - [Recreational](https://www.mblusa.com/powersports) - [Resources](https://www.mblusa.com/resources) - [Careers](https://www.mblusa.com/careers) - [Contact Us](https://www.mblusa.com/service/contact/#contact_us) Show submenu for Contact Us - [North & South America](https://www.mblusa.com/service/contact/) - [Japan](https://www.mitsuboshi.com/english/inquiry/form_general/) - [Europe](https://www.mitsuboshi.de/en/contact/) This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. # Our History ## Mitsuboshi Belting Ltd. *In October 1919, Mitsuboshi Shokai was founded to manufacture cotton transmission belts at the current Kobe Plant site. As they say, the rest is history.* ### 1920 **March 1920** Main material of power transmission belts production was changed from cotton to rubber ### 1930 **October 1932** The business was incorporated as Mitsuboshi Shokai Co., Ltd **June 1935** The company name was changed to Mitsuboshi Chotai Co., Ltd **March 1936** Start manufacturing conveyor belts **June 1937** Tokyo Branch established ### 1940 **October 1940** Start manufacturing V-belts **January 1947** Start manufacturing bicycle tires and tubes began **November 1947** Shikoku Plant established and start manufacturing flat belts **November 1948** Osaka Branch established ### 1950 **June 1950** Nagoya Branch established **May 1957** Start manufacturing timing belts **July 1958** Listed on Osaka Securities Exchange ### 1960 **May 1961** The company name was changed to Mitsuboshi Belting Ltd. **June 1961** Listed on Nagoya Stock Exchange **January 1962** Nagoya Plant established **May 1962** Listed on Tokyo Stock Exchange **July 1963** Start manufacturing waterproofing sheets **April 1965** Start manufacturing automobile interior components ### 1970 **July 1973** Start manufacturing automobile exterior components MBL (USA) CORPORATION established in the United States **February 1977** MBL (Europe) B.V. established in Netherlands **July 1977** Mitsuboshi Belting (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. established in Singapore **September 1977** Kanagawa Plant was established to take over the production of automotive components at Mitsuboshi Belting Kanagawa Manufacturing Co., Ltd. ### 1980 **April 1980** Start manufacturing engineering structural foams **October 1982** Start manufacturing ChemiFlex products from polyurethane materials **September 1986** Shiga Plant established; start cord treatment for power transmission belt **December 1987** Mitsuboshi Belting (Thailand) Co., Ltd. established in Thailand **February 1988** MBL Antriebstechnik Deutschland GmbH established in Germany **March 1988** Start manufacturing power transmission belts at MBL (USA) CORPORATION **September 1988** P.T. Mitsuboshi Belting Indonesia established in Indonesia ### 1990 **May 1990** MBL International (Asia) Pte. Ltd. established in Singapore **October 1992** Head Office was moved to Harborland Center Building, Kobe **January 1995** Facilities of Kobe Plant were damaged by the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake **November 1996** P.T. SEIWA INDONESIA established in Indonesia **February 1999** Mitsuboshi Belting Giken Co., Ltd. established in Ayabe City, Kyoto, for the purpose of developing and testing production systems **October 1999** Held ceremony to commemorate 80th anniversary ### 2000 **January 2000** Start multi-headquarter system, Tokyo head office established **April 2000** Techno Research Center established at Kobe **June 2000** MBL International (Asia) Pte. Ltd. in Singapore changed its business purpose and was renamed MITSUBOSHI OVERSEAS HEADQUARTERS LIMITED. **November 2000** Kobe head office was moved to Nagata Ward, Kobe **August 2001** MOI Tech Europe Sp.z o.o. established in Poland **November 2001** STARS TECHNOLOGIES INDUSTRIAL LIMITED established in Thailand **June 2002** MBL SHANGHAI INTERNATIONAL TRADING CO. LTD. established in China **January 2003** Consolidated MITSUBOSHI OVERSEAS HEADQUARTERS LIMITED and Mitsuboshi Belting (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. into MITSUBOSHI OVERSEAS HEADQUARTERS LIMITED Consolidated sales companies in Japan into one company, Mitsuboshi Belting Sales Co., Ltd. **October 2003** Operating officer system introduced **April 2004** SUZHOU MITSUBOSHI BELTING CO., LTD. established in China **October 2004** Automotive components division was split to Mitsuboshi Belting Kaseihin Co., Ltd. **September 2006** All stocks of Mitsuboshi Belting Kaseihin Co.,Ltd. were handed over to International Automotive Components Group Japan,LLC. **October 2007** Ayabe Production System Development Center started its operation with the integrated production system from raw materials to finished products **October 2008** Developed new variable speed belt composed of engineering plastic blocks and rubber ### 2010 **December 2010** MITSUBOSHI BELTING-INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED established in India **August 2012** Mitsuboshi Belting VIETNAM Co., Ltd. established in Vietnam **January 2015** Held an advertising tower lighting ceremony to commemorate  20th year after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake **February 2015** Released Smart Tension, a simple belt tension measurement app for smartphones **October 2019** Celebrated its 100th anniversary. ### 2020 **February 2020** The company name of Germany site was changed to Mitsuboshi Belting Europe GmbH **April 2021** MITSUBOSHI BELTING SALES INDONESIA established in Indonesia **April 2022** Transferred from Tokyo Stock Exchange First Section to Prime Market **October 2022** Mitsuboshi Belting Europe GmbH branch office was established in France **April 2023** MITSUBOSHI BELTING-INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED, a local subsidiary in India, completed a new plant. **April 2024** MITSUBOSHI BELTING KOREA CO., LTD. established in Seoul, Korea MBL (USA) Corporation opens a branch sales office in Rolling Meadows, Illinois **November 2024** MITSUBOSHI OVERSEAS HEADQUARTERS PRIVATE LIMITED moves to new location in Singapore **April 2025** MITSUBOSHI BELTING MIDDLE EAST FZCO established in Dubai, United Arab Emirates **August 2026** STARS TECHNOLOGIES INDUSTRIAL LIMITED BANGKOK established in Bangkok, Thailand --- [![6△ロゴ(青地白文字)](https://www.mblusa.com/hs-fs/hubfs/6%E2%96%B3%E3%83%AD%E3%82%B4(%E9%9D%92%E5%9C%B0%E7%99%BD%E6%96%87%E5%AD%97).png?width=109&height=113&name=6%E2%96%B3%E3%83%AD%E3%82%B4(%E9%9D%92%E5%9C%B0%E7%99%BD%E6%96%87%E5%AD%97).png "6△ロゴ(青地白文字)")](https://www.mblusa.com?hsLang=en) MBL (USA) Corporation manufactures and distributes power transmission belts for original equipment and service parts in the automotive, recreational, and industrial markets. [![Japanese button english-1](https://www.mblusa.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Japanese%20button%20english-1.png?width=411&height=75&name=Japanese%20button%20english-1.png "Japanese button english-1")](https://www.mitsuboshi.com/english/) [![global\_portal\_en-1](https://www.mblusa.com/hs-fs/hubfs/global_portal_en-1.png?width=231&height=71&name=global_portal_en-1.png "global_portal_en-1")](https://global.mitsuboshi.com/?_fsi=BTkyi7wZ) ## Get In Touch (815) 434-1282 Toll Free (877) 625-7832 [mblusa.websupport@mitsuboshi.com](mailto:mblusa.websupport@mitsuboshi.com) Plant & Warehouse: 601 Dayton Road, Ottawa, IL 61350 Sales & Engineering: 1600 Golf Road, Rolling Meadows, IL 60008 ## Menu - [About Us](https://www.mblusa.com) - [Products](https://www.mblusa.com/products) - [Resources](https://www.mblusa.com/resources) - [Careers](https://www.mblusa.com/careers) - [News](https://www.mblusa.com/mbl-usa-corporation-news) Copyright © 2025 MBL (USA) Corporation All Rights Reserved. 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