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Japanese trading company
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Correns Corporation (株式会社コーレンス, Kabushikigaisha Kōrensu) is a Japanese trading company, founded in 1948 [1], which specialises in machinery and components.[2] It was one of the first German companies allowed to operate in Japan after the repatriation of Germans at the end of World War Two, and assisted with the Japanese reconstruction.[3]
Native name | 株式会社コーレンス |
|---|---|
| Company type | Private |
| Genre | Trading company |
| Founder | Claus Correns |
| Headquarters | Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan |
Area served | Japan, Europe |
Key people | Ivar Johansson (President) |
| Revenue | 13,679 million JPY (sales, 2022) |
Number of employees | 170 (2023) |
| Subsidiaries | Correns Hong Kong Correns Europe |
| Website | Correns Corporation (English)
Correns Corporation (Japanese) Correns Europe (English) |
History
Founding
Correns Corporation was founded in Tokyo on April 1, 1948 as C. Correns & Co by German founder Claus Correns.[1]
Correns had earlier began his career in China with the Hamburg-based trading company Siemssen & Co. in 1934, but later relocated to Japan in 1942.[4]
After World War II, most German businesses in Japan were closed, and many German citizens were repatriated. However, Claus Correns was allowed to remain in Japan.[3]
Postwar Activity
In the immediate postwar period, Correns (then known as C. Correns & Co.) was subject to Allied occupation proceedings, as documented in the following U.S. government case files. It was therefore one of the first German-owned businesses allowed to operate in Japan after 1945.:
- Between 1945 and 1952, the company’s assets and accounts were monitored under the GHQ/SCAP Foreign Property Division / Enemy Property Branch.[3]
- In November 1948, documentation from GHQ’s Foreign Trade and Commerce Division lists C. Correns & Co. alongside with Kane Import Corp., suggesting a possible collaboration or coordinated commercial activity regulated under occupation oversight.[5]
- A mid-1949 case file from GHQ’s Industrial Production & Construction Branch includes the company in relation to the sale of steam vessels, indicating involvement in postwar asset transactions.[6]
By the mid-1960s, C. Correns & Co. (株式会社シー・コーレンス商会) was headquartered in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, with a branch office in Umeda, Osaka. The company specialized in importing industrial chemicals, raw materials, and machinery from Europe, representing prominent manufacturers such as Degussa, BASF, Hachemie, and Dr. L.C.. Its product range included organic and inorganic chemicals, carbon black, pigments, silicone-based compounds, and materials for the electronics, rubber, and glass industries.[7]
As of December 1966, the company had a paid-in capital of ¥34 million and reported annual revenues of ¥1.04558 billion. It employed 75 people at the time. The representative director continued to be Claus Correns, and the vice president was A. von Eisenhart-Rothe.[7]
In the 1990s, Correns Corporation expanded its business activities in the field of industrial furnace systems.[8]
Renaming
The company was initially established as a general partnership and formally registered as C. Correns & Co., Ltd. on December 17, 1954. It was renamed Correns Corporation on April 1, 1998. [4] [9]
Presidents
According to the companies website [10]
| 1948-1980 | Claus Correns, Founder of Correns [4] |
| 1980-1996 | Arthur von Eisenhart-Rothe |
| 1996-2010 | Dr. Michael von Eisenhart-Rothe |
| 2010-2020 | Thomas Nolting |
| 2020- | Ivar Johansson |
Financials and business operations
As of 2022, Correns Corporation employs over 170 individuals and achieved a turnover of 13,679 million JPY. The company operates as a representative and distributor for primarily European suppliers. The company provides clients technical services and support, a service which is crucial for foreign companies wanting to succeed in the Japanese market because of Japan's unique business culture.
Correns Corporation imports specialized machinery for various industries. Including small-scale gasification power generation technologies.[11]
Literature
- Max Eli: Geschäftserfolge in Japan: Wie deutsche Unternehmen die Chancen ergreifen, Publisher: Gabler Verlag, published April 2004, ISBN 978-4-8165-0042-8
- Claus Correns: Meinen Freunden zum Abschied, Publisher: Nansosha, published 1990, ISBN 340-912-586-8