50th
Anniversary
Thanks to all your support,
AMCON INC. managed to celebrate
its
50th anniversary
in November, 2024.
We have been fortunate
enough to meet
many wonderful
people and
create countless cherished memories along the way.
People may refer to a person’s life
as “one lifetime,”
but could the life of a company
be called a “company-time”?
Whether 50 years is considered long or short will depend on each individual’s perspective.
However, without a doubt,
we have continued to thrive and
are still here after 50 years.
There is no question
that our company’s journey has been filled
with remarkable connections and
wonderful memories.
We are truly grateful to be granted
the opportunity to continue thriving.
Thank you, everyone,
from the bottom of our hearts.
History
1970s
1974
AMCON’s History
The establishment of "Environmental Facilities Center Co., Ltd."
In Gohongi, Meguro-ward, Tokyo, Masayoshi Sasaki founded the "Environmental Facility Center
Co., Ltd."
The company began by working on the maintenance of wastewater treatment facilities and
purification tanks for
housing complexes.
At that time, there were only five employees including the president, who were always busy
running between job sites. There were no admin staff at the time, so the president's wife
answered
the phone every day with a small child on her back.
World History
Discovery of the Terracotta Army, part of the tomb of Qin Shi Huang (China's First Emperor)
The tomb of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty, was accidentally discovered
by a farmer while digging a well. Approximately 8,000 life-sized terracotta figures of
soldiers and horses were buried in the tomb. These terracotta warriors were crafted to
protect the emperor in the afterlife, and their intricate
craftsmanship is highly regarded worldwide. This discovery is considered one of the greatest
archaeological finds of the 20th century.
"Terracotta Army, View of Pit 1" ©Jean-Marie Hullot (Licensed under CC BY 3.0)
1979
AMCON’s History
Set up of a technology research facility. Began
our measurement certification business.
The office was relocated to Nakameguro, Meguro-ward, Tokyo,
and our technology research facility, which became the predecessor of the Analysis Division,
was established. At this time, the company began its measurement certification
business, focusing on wastewater and environmental analyses. It was also
around this period that the company
began actively hiring new graduates, welcoming 22 new employees
that
year.
Later, in 1983, the company started its water quality testing services for tap water and
drinking water, leading to the formation of the Analysis Division.
World History
Mother Teresa Receives the Nobel Peace Prize (India)
Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in
recognition of her work to "rescue suffering people" through her service to the poor and
sick. She requested that the prize money be used to help the poor rather than for a
ceremonial
celebration. She also emphasized that "loving your family is important" for the sake of
peace.
Created by modifying "Mother Teresa" ©Túrelio (Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 DE)
1980s
1982
AMCON’s History
Began the manufacture and sales of the “Belt-press-type Sludge Thickener - KM Series”.
Sludge generated from communal water purification tanks in apartment complexes was usually
vacuum-transported, but sludge concentrators, which were intended to reduce the
volume of sludge, were very expensive at the time and difficult
to install. The cost of the vacuum transport became a significant burden on residents and
management companies. Seeing this situation, Masayoshi Sasaki decided, "If the product
doesn't
exist in the world, we'll create it ourselves," and developed the company's first mechanical
product, the "Belt-press-type Sludge Thickener - KM Series." This marked the beginning of
the company's journey as a machinery manufacturer.
World History
Sony Launched the World's First CD
Player, the "CDP-101" (Japan)
This product promoted the digitalization of music playback, marking a significant turning point from traditional analog records. Priced at 168,000 Japanese yen, it came with a remote control and had features that displayed track numbers and playback time. The CDP-101 was equipped with a 16-bit digital-to-analog conversion technology, bringing innovation to music playback technology at the time.
"Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci, Milano" ©Alessandro Nassiri (Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0)
1983
AMCON’s History
We began a 24-hour Emergency Maintenance Support for building facilities.
In response to a request from a client of the Analysis Division,
we carried out drainage pipe cleaning for medical institutions. Following that, we
officially began inspections of water supply and drainage systems, as well as pump
inspections in 1983. Meanwhile, as infrustructure was being developed and the rate of sewer
connections progressed within Japan, the number of purification tanks in apartment complexes
we maintained, one of our core businesses at the time, gradually decreased. In response, we
shifted our focus to the rapidly increasing number of apartment buildings, and in 1984, we
launched a 24-hour Emergency Maintenance Support for building facilities. This led to the
establishment of the AMCON 24 Division.
World History
Opening of Tokyo Disneyland (Japan)
Tokyo Disneyland opened. It was Disney’s first overseas
theme park, made possible through a partnership between Japan’s Oriental Land Company
and
Disney. Disney characters appeared at the opening ceremony, where a ribbon-cutting event
took place in the rain. Since that day, as the "Kingdom of Dreams and Magic," it has
continued to welcome many guests from around the world.
"Tokyo Disneyland" ©Øyvind Holmstad (Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0)
1987
AMCON’s History
Our company was renamed as AMCON INC.
In 1984, to mark the company’s 10th anniversary, we launched
an internal "C.I. Plan" (Corporate Identity Plan). The name of one of our services -
"AMCON," established as part of this plan, symbolizes our pride and responsibility as a
group of engineers dedicated to providing "amenity and convenience" to our customers. In
1987, in order to unify the service brand and the company name, we changed our name to
"AMCON INC."
World History
The World Population Exceeded 5 Billion
On July 11, 1987, the world population reached 5 billion, and this day was designated as
"The Day of Five Billion" by the United Nations. This milestone symbolizes the rapid
population growth that had occurred since 1950, with the global population
doubling in just 37 years. Since then, July 11 has been
recognized annually as "World Population Day," aimed at raising awareness of population
issues.
"World Population Growth 1700-2100" ©Max Roser (Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0)
1990s
1991
AMCON’s History
We began the manufacture and sales of the “VOLUTE™ Dewatering Press”.
Masayoshi Sasaki began the production and sales of the VOLUTE™ Dewatering Press, which he
completed after 10 years of development. This marked the creation of the VOLUTE Division
within our company. Although the company participated in numerous exhibitions to promote the
new product, it was extremely challenging to get people to understand how this machine could
concentrate and dewater sludge. To address this, real sludge was transported daily from
wastewater treatment plants to the exhibition venues, where live demonstrations of the
sludge dewatering process were conducted. Ultimately, their efforts paid off, and the team
continued traveling across Japan
to conduct even more demonstrations.
World History
The World's First Website Goes Live
The world’s first website was launched by Tim Berners-Lee on August 6, 1991. Developed at
CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research), this website provided information
about the World Wide Web (www) project and instructions on how to use it. It served as an
introduction to the web's framework for
the world. The site was hosted on his NeXT computer and marked an important step in
supporting the growth of the web.
"Mosaic at Sheen Lane Centre honouring Tim Berners-Lee (2017)" ©Bartholomeus Thoth (Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0)
2000s
2003
AMCON’s History
Full-Scale Overseas Export
In 2003, the company began its full-scale overseas export, manufacturing and selling sludge
dewatering machines under
the name KD Series for international markets. Driven by the desire to "introduce our sludge
dewatering technology, developed in Japan, to customers around the world and make it
convenient for them to use," the company established a local subsidiary in China, AMCON
(Yixing) Environmental Protection Science & Technology Co. Ltd., in March 2007. In April
2011, to address challenges such as exchange rate risks, shipping times, and transportation
costs, the company established a European subsidiary, AMCON Europe s.r.o., in the Czech
Republic.
World History
SARS, Global Outbreak
SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) became a global outbreak, primarily affecting Asia.
The first case was confirmed in Guangdong Province, China, in 2002, and the virus spread to
more than 30 countries. The main symptoms included high fever, headaches, and a dry cough.
SARS was highly contagious, and many healthcare workers were infected. Through international
cooperation and quarantine measures, the spread of the
infection was contained by July 2003.
"SARS virion"Content Providers(s): CDC/C.S. Goldsmith
2004
AMCON’s History
Relocation of our headquarters to
Kohoku-ward, Yokohama City
Completion of the Yokohama Headquarters Building and Relocation from Nakameguro, Tokyo, to
Kohoku-ward,
Yokohama City.
Our flagship product, the VOLUTE™ Dewatering Press, takes its name from the word "volute,"
which means "spiral." The design of the Yokohama headquarters building is inspired by this
spiral motif, with the interior structured in a spiral without partition walls. Each floor
is connected by staircases that ascend 3 to 4 steps at a time, allowing one to pass through
all the floors by spiraling upward from the bottom.
World History
Athens Olympics and Paralympics Held (Greece)
In 2004, the 28th Summer Olympic Games and the 12th Summer Paralympic Games were held in Athens. The Olympics, held from August 13th till the 29th, saw the participation of 10,625 athletes from 201 countries, while around 3,800 athletes from 135 countries took part in the Paralympics from September 17th till the 28th. The event, held in the birthplace of the ancient Olympics, garnered significant attention as the "Return of the Olympics" and achieved record-breaking viewership and success for both games.
"Olympic flame at opening ceremony 2004" ©Alterego (Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0)
2010s
2011
AMCON’s History
The launch of Multiple New Series of our Sludge Dewatering Presses
In May 2011, we launched many new products, starting with the production and sales of the
VOLUTE™ Dewatering Press VDC Series, followed by the GS Series, DW Series, MW Series, FS
Series, and the Polymer Make-up System AP Series.
In 2009, we were selected as one of "Japan's 300 Vibrant Monozukuri (Manufacturing) SMEs" by
the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Additionally, in March 2015, the VOLUTE™
Dewatering Press received the Innovation Award at the "WEX Global Forum 2015" held in the
United Kingdom, further solidifying our recognition overseas.
World History
Great East Japan Earthquake (Tohoku Earthquake) Occurs (Japan)
On March 11, 2011, a massive earthquake with a magnitude of
9.0 struck off the Pacific coast of the Tohoku region, triggering a devastating tsunami that
caused widespread damage, particularly in the northeastern part of Japan. The disaster also
led to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, resulting in the need for
large-scale evacuations.
"23.4.2 ５音：慰問演奏（湊小学校）④.jpg Album 東日本大震災における災害派遣活動 慰問演奏活動" ©Rikujojieitai Boueisho (Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0)
2020s
2020
AMCON’s History
Expansion of Business and Production Bases
A new building was completed at the Yokohama factory, increasing production capacity to
quickly respond to the growing number of orders and establishing a robust production
system.
In October 2022, we opened our Kansai sales office in Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture, creating
a foundation to swiftly address customer inquiries and after-sales service requests related
to sludge treatment in western Japan. Additionally, in September 2023, a representative
office was opened in Manila, Philippines, further expanding our presence both domestically
and internationally.
World History
Global Spread of COVID-19
The spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was first confirmed in China at the end of 2019 and quickly spread worldwide in 2020, leading to the declaration of a pandemic. Countries implemented lockdowns and travel restrictions, significantly impacting the global economy and daily life. As a result, the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, originally scheduled for 2020, were postponed for one year, marking the first time in history that the Olympics had been delayed. The events were held in 2021 without spectators, with strict safety measures in place.
"Jordan, Hong Kong healthcare workers testing residents for COVID-19" ©Studio Incendo (Licensed under CC BY 2.0)
None of the members
who were present at the time of founding,
are here with us at the company today.
Even our President/CEO is the 4th
to serve during these 50 years.
They say that
the human life now spans up to 100 years,
but a company may have the potential
to last 500 years.
Even as the people within it change,
the company will continue to live on
by adapting to the changes of times.
I reminisce,
where a senior colleague once told me -
"There’s no task that doesn’t end,
so hang in there,"
but perhaps there are jobs that truly never end,
no matter how much you try.
Fifty years from now,
when we celebrate our 100th anniversary,
I hope we will still be engaged in
this never-ending work.
Let us step into the unknown,
together with the words of
our company motto,
"Challenge
and Creativity."