Osaka-based VESSEL Group is both a leader and a pioneer in the manufacturing of screwdrivers, driving bits, industrial tools and electrostatic discharge-related products.
With bolts and screws found in everything from consumer goods to large-scale industrial projects, there is an array of hand, electrical, pneumatic, industrial and gasoline engine tools on the market — a market in which VESSEL continues to make a name for itself.
Established in 1916, the company opened its European office on the outskirts of Paris in 2010 to better serve its European customers.
“I was handling the company’s export business from Japan and recognized that in Europe, France was the preferred market for us to establish an office,” recalled Kazuko Tokuoka, managing director of VESSEL Europe.
“Our customers are at the very heart of what we do, and setting up in France proved to be the right decision for us as a company due to the sizeable market, our ability to be close to our established partners and the country’s advantageous geographic location within Europe.”
VESSEL’s products are manufactured in Japan and meet all European compliance and specification requirements. The company’s best-selling products in Europe include railway track maintenance impact wrenches, precision-fastening products and cutting tools for robotics used in the automotive and material handling industries.
Some of VESSEL’s local customers include national, state-owned railway company, SNCF, automobile manufacturer Renault and automotive parts manufacturers Valeo and Schneider Electric.
“Considering a single screwdriver can be used to tighten tens of thousands of screws, our customers demand quality products that can do the job,” said Tokuoka.
In order to be close to customers, the company’s distributor network consists of 140 dealers in Europe, eight of which are in France.
As France and Japan celebrate 160 years of diplomatic ties this year, Tokuoka is keen to assert that VESSEL will continue to play a part in bringing France and Japan closer together.
“I hope our success, in a small way, triggers a more heartfelt partnership between both of our countries as we continue to strengthen our partnerships with French industrial players and all of our European customers.”
