A Wichita-based lubrication business is partnering with a Japanese counterpart to create a new company that’ll be based in the city.
The joint venture is between Lubrication Engineers and Kyodo Yushi USA.
The new company will be called Kyodo Yushi Manufacturing Americas, and it will produce lubricants for the automotive industry.
Company headquarters and an advanced manufacturing facility will be located at 29th Street and Mead in downtown Wichita.
The Kansas Department of Commerce says Kyodo Yushi was founded 80 years ago and is one of the leading grease manufacturers in the world.
“It is partnerships like this that allow companies across the world to bring their various areas of expertise together to produce innovation,” said Kansas Commerce Secretary Antonio Soave. “It is our goal at Commerce to assist companies like Kyodo Yushi USA and Lubrication Engineers so that they may form partnerships that will help grow businesses and the Kansas economy.”
Officials from both companies and Wichita leaders issued statements about the joint venture:
“We are excited to announce these plans for our company and for Wichita,” said Scott Schwindaman, President and CEO of Lubrication Engineers, Inc. “The more we talked, the more we realized our two companies share a similar culture of quality and innovation. We look forward to being part of this new venture, and we’re excited about it for the community too because of the growth, diversification and potential for advanced research.”
Hitoshi Samejima, president of Kyodo Yushi USA said, “We are excited about this planned partnership and venture. We look forward to getting to know Wichita and the community better, and in the planning process, the people we have met through the Greater Wichita Partnership, the city and others have been very welcoming.”
“Kyodo Yushi would be a welcome addition to the vibrant employer mix in Wichita,” said Wichita Mayor Jeff Longwell. “We would be honored for them to choose to invest their growth in Wichita. This international partnership is a testament to the opportunity Wichita offers growing businesses."
“Lubrication Engineers produces highly engineered and the highest quality products for the world. Kyodo Yushi is an extremely well respected international company,” said Jeff Fluhr of the Greater Wichita Partnership. “Their venture is a perfect example of how a local company can expand in completely new ways to create growth here.”
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