Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.

Developing business globally in a wide variety of categories, we have grown into a corporate group operating in about 40 countries around the world and consisting of approximately 280,000 employees. Our origin, namely the Sumitomo copper business, dates back more than 400 years. In Japan, which was one of the worldâ„¢s most prominent copper-producing countries in those days, the cornerstone of Sumitomo was laid by the development of the nanban-buki, an innovative refining technique, and the subsequent development of the Besshi Copper Mine. Afterwards, electric light, the telegraph and the telephone were invented, raising demand for copper wires. With progress over time, our forerunners took on challenges enthusiastically to contribute to society through manufacturing. With this background, in 1897, the Sumitomo Electric Group was established as a company manufacturing electric wires and cables using copper from Besshi.