History

BROTHER INDUSTRIES (SLOVAKIA) was founded in 2006. In 2007 it invested more than €4 million in the building of a former dairy in Krupina and built a modern plant producing remanufactured and new toner cartridges.

At first the plant employed 35 people; by the end of 2007 the number had grown to 100. In its first year of operation the plant produced 400,000 toner cartridges.

Production and employment grew steadily. In 2010 the plant processed one million toner cartridges and in 2016 more than 1.5 million. In 2016 more than 200 people worked at the plant.

The company is among those that significantly influence the quality of the environment. Today it recycles 100% of the empty toner cartridges it receives.

Besides the initial investment in the production premises, the plant regularly invests in production technology – in 2015 it was more than €700,000.

The company recovers 100% of the cartridges it receives: 90–95% are remanufactured, the rest is recycled into granulate. Cartridges of brands other than Brother are sent for energy recovery.

History of BROTHER

1908

The history of BROTHER began in 1908 in Nagoya, Japan, when Kanekichi Yasui founded YASUI SEWING MACHINE CO, which repaired sewing machines and made spare parts for them.

1926

Kanekichi Yasui died in November 1925. The company was taken over by his son Masayoshi, who renamed it YASUI SEWING MACHINE and opened a new shop on the main street of Nagoya.

1928

Alongside straw hats, the company began making and selling the Sho-san-Shiki sewing machine under the BROTHER brand. It could sew a chain stitch, used in the production of straw hats.

1932

The company successfully launched the Model 15 Type 70 sewing machine – the first Brother household sewing machine.

1934

YASUI BROTHERS’ SEWING MACHINE was reorganised and NIPPON SEWING MACHINE MANUFACTURING was established.

1941

BROTHER SALES was founded as the sales company for Japan.

1947

Expansion to foreign markets begins: in 1947 the company exported 200 HA1 straight-stitch sewing machines to Shanghai.

1954

Production of professional knitting machines and of household appliances begins – the first was a centrifugal washing machine.

1954

BROTHER INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION was founded to develop the sales business, followed by sales companies abroad: USA (1954), Ireland (1958), Canada (1959), France (1962), Germany (1964), the Netherlands (1968) and Australia (1977).

1955

Production of electric fans.

1957

Production of refrigerators begins. In the same year the company launched the 80 cc Darling motorcycle in Japan.

1961

The company exported a shipment of JP1-111 mechanical typewriters to the USA.

1962

The company was renamed again and took its present name, BROTHER INDUSTRIES LTD.

1971

Exports of the M 101 high-speed dot-matrix printer to the USA begin.

1980

Production of the EM1 electric typewriter begins.

1982

Production of the EP-20 electronic printer begins.

1987

The company expands into information and communication technology with the FAX-100 fax machine and the HL-8 laser printer.

1993

Deliveries of the FAX-900 plain-paper fax and of multifunction faxes begin, increasing the share of the European SOHO market (all-in-one devices).

2000

Production moves to China and the business structure is rebuilt so that sales operations work under one roof. Production gradually starts in the Philippines and Vietnam as well.

2010

After the financial crisis the company focuses on higher value-added products in its existing plants, and grows by entering new business areas such as services and solutions.