Daikin celebrates its 100th anniversary in Osaka

Osaka and Brussels, 21 May 2024 – Daikin held a 100th anniversary ceremony earlier today in Osaka (Japan). The 2,000 attendees included guests of honour, advisors, business partners, as well as employees from the Daikin Group in Japan and abroad.

Founded in Osaka (Japan) in 1924, parent company Daikin Industries, global market leader in air conditioning, heating, ventilation and refrigeration solutions (HVAC-R) is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2024. This celebration comes on the heels of the 50th anniversary last year of subsidiary company Daikin Europe, which been leading the HVAC-R industry in Europe, the Middle East and Africa region since 1973.

A ceremony was held on 21 May at The Symphony Hall (Osaka, Japan) to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the company's founding. Chairman of the Board and Global Group Representative Noriyuki Inoue reflected on Daikin’s growth to date and expressed his expectations for its future growth:

"From a small factory of 15 people at our founding, we have transformed Daikin into a global company with operations in more than 170 countries worldwide, and I am personally mindful of just how far we have come," said Noriyuki Inoue, Chairman of the Board and Chief Global Group Officer, reflecting on the company's growth at the ceremony. Inoue also expressed his expectations toward future growth, mentioning "With the spirit of learning from the past and applying those lessons to the future, we would like to further refine our technological capabilities, which are the lifeline for a manufacturer, and contribute to society through our technology."

"Our ability to overcome numerous hardships and continue to grow and develop over the past 100 years lies in the good corporate culture built by our predecessors and Daikin's unique strengths, which could be called the source of our competitiveness. We now have the opportunity for a fresh start to further evolve these strengths," said Masanori Togawa, President and CEO. Togawa also expressed his determination for future growth, stating, "Daikin will continue in the future to be a corporate group that grows by satisfying customers and earning trust, while working to increase environmental and social value and contribute to the creation of a new society."

The ceremony was attended by a total of 2,000 people, including guests of honour, advisors, business partners and many other guests, as well as employees of the Daikin Group in Japan and abroad.

The company was founded in October 1924 as a limited partnership, Osaka Metal Industries. Starting with the production of radiator tubes for aircraft, the company has grown into a successful multinational corporation with both an air-conditioning business and a fluorochemical business, commercialising many Japanese and world-first technologies, including Japan's commercial refrigeration system in the 30-ies, the first packaged air conditioners in the 50-ies and VRV multi-split commercial air conditioners.

Today, with more than 120 production sites around the world, Daikin is a leading global air conditioning company, providing products and services that meet the needs arising from diverse cultures and values around the world. Our mission is to make people and spaces healthy and comfortable through the power of air.

To mark the 100th anniversary of the company's founding, Daikin will strengthen its support for the 'Forests for the Air' project in seven locations around the world, reformulate its Group Management Philosophy host a Group Management Conference and update company work uniforms at its manufacturing plants.