Suzuki
The Suzuki Motor Corporation is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Minami-ku, Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing automotive vehicles driving all 4 wheels, motorcycles, all terrain vehicles (ATVs), outboard motors marine , wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines. In 2011, Suzuki was tenth largest automaker production worldwide. Suzuki employs over 45 thousands and has 35 main production facilities in 23 countries and 133 distributors in 192 countries. According to statistics from the Association of Automobile Manufacturers in Japan (JAMA), Suzuki is the second largest manufacturer of small cars and trucks from Japan.
Suzuki History
In 1909, Michio Suzuki (1887-1982) founded the Suzuki Loom Works in the small coastal village of Hamamatsu, Japan. The Business boomed as the Suzuki built weaving looms for giant silk industry of Japan. In 1929, Michio Suzuki invented a new type of weaving machine, which was exported overseas. Suzuki presented no less than 120 patents and utility model rights. First 30 years of the company focused on the development and production of these exceptionally complex machines.
Despite the success of his looms, it occurred to Suzuki that your company would benefit from diversification and began to look at other products. Based on consumer demand, decided that building a small car would be the most practical new company. The project began in 1937, and within two years Suzuki had completed several compact prototype cars. These first Suzuki motor vehicles were powered by a then-innovative, four-stroke, four-cylinder liquid cooled. He had a cast aluminum crankcase and gearbox and generated 13 horsepower (9.7 kW) from a displacement of less than 800cc.
With the onset of World War II, production plans for Suzuki‘s new vehicles were halted when the government declared civilian passenger cars a “non-essential commodity.” After the war, Suzuki went back to producing looms. Loom production was given a boost when the United States government approved the shipping of cotton to Japan. Suzuki‘s fortunes brightened as orders began to increase from domestic textile manufacturers. But the joy was short lived as the cotton market collapsed in 1951.
Faced with this colossal challenge, Suzuki‘s thoughts went back to motor vehicles. After the war, Japanese had a great need for affordable and reliable personal transportation. A number of firms began offering “clip–on” gas-powered engines that could be attached to the typical bicycle. First two-wheel ingenuity came in the form of Suzuki a bike with an engine called the “Power Free.” Designed to be inexpensive and easy to build and maintain, the 1952 Power Free had 36 cc, one horsepower, two-stroke engine. The gear system dual pinion unprecedented enabled the pilot to either pedal assist motor, pedal without engine assist, or simply disconnect the pedals and run on engine power alone. The patent office of new democratic government granted Suzuki a financial subsidy to continue research in motorcycle engineering, and so was born Suzuki Motor Corporation. In 1953, Suzuki scored first of many racing victories when the tiny 60 cc “Diamond Free” won its class in the Mount Fuji Hill climb.
In 1954, Suzuki was producing approximately 6,000 motorcycles per month and had officially changed its name to Suzuki Motor Co., Ltd. Following the success of its first motorcycles, Suzuki created an even more successful automobile: the 1955 Suzuki Suzulight. Suzuki showed its penchant for innovation from the beginning. Suzulight included front-wheel drive, 4-wheel independent suspension and rack and pinion, which were not common on cars until three decades later. Volkswagen AG completed the purchase of 19.9% of the issued shares of Suzuki Motor Corporation on January 15, 2010, Volkswagen AG is the largest shareholder of Suzuki.
Suzuki Leadership
The company was founded by Michio Suzuki;, its current President and CEO Osamu Suzuki is the fourth in a row mukoyoshi to run the company.
Suzuki Timeline
The Suzuki Loom Company began in 1909 as a manufacturer of silk looms and cotton. The Michio Suzuki intended to make better, more user-friendly looms and, for 30 years, his focus was on the development of these exceptionally complex machines. The desire to diversify into automotive products Michio was interrupted by World War II. Before they started building 4-stroke engines, the Suzuki Motor Corp. was known for its two-stroke engines (for motorcycles and cars). After the war, Suzuki made a two-stroke motorized bicycle, but eventually the company is characterized by Hayabusa and GSX-R motorcycles for QuadRunner, and dominate the race tracks around world. Even after producing its first car in 1955, the company had no car division until 1961 in Suzuki is one of the largest manufacturers of automobiles in the world, and a major brand in major markets such as Japan and India but no longer sells cars in North America. 
