Shoei

Shoei Co., Ltd (株式会社SHOEI, Kabushiki-gaisha Shoei) is a Japanese company that produces a line of motorsport helmets.

Shoei Co., Ltd.
Native name
株式会社SHOEI
TypePublic K.K.
TYO: 7839
IndustryMotorcycle helmet manufacturing
Founded17 March 1959
FounderEitaro Kamata
Headquarters
Taitō, Tokyo
,
Japan
Key people
Kenichiro Ishida (President)
Revenue ¥14,244 Million (September 30, 2015)[1]
¥3,210 Million (September 30, 2015)[1]
¥1,996 Million (September 30, 2015)[1]
Total assets ¥12,867 Million (September 30, 2015)[1]
Total equity ¥10,232 Million (September 30, 2015)[1]
Number of employees
457
Websiteshoei.com

History

Shoei is a Japanese company producing motorcycle helmets since 1958.[2] Its roots go back to 1954 with the founding of Kamata Polyester Co., whose first helmets were produced primarily for use in the construction industry.

Shoei's founder, Eitaro Kamata, began to produce helmets for the motorcycle racing sector and in 1960, the Tokyo factory began to produce the first motorcycle helmets to meet the Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS).

In 1965, Honda Motor Co. adopted Shoei's helmets as their 'genuine' helmets, increasing their popularity and availability. The Shoei Safety Helmet Corp. was established in 1968, shortly after construction of the Ibaraki factory. The current Iwate factory was built in 1989.

When inquired about the origins of the name, a Shoei representative replied the following: "Shoei is not an actual word and does not mean anything. In Japan the passage of time is marked in dynasties which are the lifetime of an emperor. When Shoei was started in 1959 they were in the Showa dynasty so the first three letter SHO were combined with the first two letters of the founders name Eitaro Kamata and resulted in the brand name."

Despite their success, Shoei remains a relatively small company, with a workforce of under 500 people worldwide.

Shoei provide helmets for numerous MotoGP riders. In the MotoGP class, Marc Márquez[3] and Bradley Smith .[4] In Moto2, Thomas Luthi[5] and Mattia Pasini.[6] In Moto3, Álex Márquez,[7] the younger brother of Marc Márquez, and Arthur Sissis.[8]

Helmets

Since the foundation of the company, all Shoei helmets have been designed and manufactured in Japan, although they are distributed and sold globally.

Shoei was one of the first helmet manufacturers to introduce lightweight carbon-fibre helmets in the mid 1970s.

Shoei's GRV helmet was the first helmet to use carbon fiber and Kevlar. Shoei also created the first coverless shield system and the Dual Liner Ventilation system. The flagship X-Spirit was introduced in 2003 and was promoted by Shoei as the most advanced helmet in the world, winning MCN's Product of the Year 2003 award in the clothing category. It was followed by further development and the introduction of the RF-1000 (sold as the XR-1000 in Europe) in 2004, and the later introduction of the X-Eleven. These helmets paved the way for the current RF-1200 and X-14 models. In September 2010 the QWEST was released, the successor of the RAID II, a top of the line sport touring helmet.

Financial effects of the Great East Japan earthquake

Shoei was a victim of the earthquake that struck Japan in 2011. Two factories named Iwate and Ibaraki were damaged and had to be (partially) restored. Its costs calculated on an accrual basis were estimated at around 63 million Yen.

References
  1. "Consolidated Financial Results for The Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2015" (PDF). Shoei Co. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 5, 2016.
  2. "Company History". Shoei corporate website. Archived from the original on 2007-10-10. Retrieved 2007-10-30.
  3. "Marc Marquez - The Official MotoGP Website". motogp.com. Archived from the original on 2010-09-30. Retrieved 2019-11-04.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. "Bradley Smith - The Official MotoGP Website". motogp.com. Archived from the original on 2010-09-30. Retrieved 2019-11-04.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. "motogp.com · Thomas Luthi". motogp.com. Archived from the original on 2014-07-12. Retrieved 2019-11-04.
  6. "motogp.com · Mattia Pasini". motogp.com. Archived from the original on 2014-07-12. Retrieved 2019-11-04.
  7. "motogp.com · Alex Marquez". motogp.com. Archived from the original on 2013-09-16. Retrieved 2019-11-04.
  8. "motogp.com · Arthur Sissis". motogp.com. Archived from the original on 2013-10-16. Retrieved 2019-11-04.
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