Work Wheels

Last updated
Work Co., Ltd.
Native name
株式会社ワーク
Romanized name
Kabushiki-gaisha Wāku
Company type Private
Industry Motorsport
FoundedMarch 8, 1977
FounderTakeshi Tanaka
Headquarters Osaka, Japan
Products Alloy wheels
Revenue¥JPY 95,000,000 (June 2014)
Number of employees
160 (June 2014)
Website www.work-wheels.net
Work Equip E05 Workequipmodel.jpg
Work Equip E05
Work Meister S1 3P Work Meister S1 3p.jpg
Work Meister S1 3P
Work Emotion CR Kiwami Work Emotion.jpg
Work Emotion CR Kiwami

Work Co., Ltd. is a Japanese high-end wheel manufacturer for both motorsport and street use, such as the popular "Work Equip" and "Work Meister" range of wheels. [1]

Contents

Work Wheels released their first range of wheels in 1977 [2] under the name "Work Equip", which continue to be manufactured today under popular demand. Commonly regarded as the leading manufacturer of Single, Two and Three piece forged wheels for automotive use, Work Wheels adopt a "on demand system" in order to produce products under direct request of their customers and corporate customers. [3] Current major corporate customers include Dunlop, Falken, Toyo Tires, Toyota Modellista International Co, FUJI Corporation, Bridgestone, and Ralliart. [2]

Work Wheels is a long-standing member of both the Japan Light-Alloy Wheel Association (JAWA) and Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO). [2]

The company's founder, Takeshi Tanaka, died in 2015. [1]

Current lines [4]

Discontinued lines

History

Work Wheels timeline: [6]

YearEvent
1977President Takeshi Tanaka started WORK Co,. Ltd

Company capital JPY 4,000,000

1979Established 3 piece wheel assembly plant.

Increased Company capital to JPY 10,000,000.

1980Built current 4-story head office.

Relocated and expanded factory.

1981Established paint facility.
1982Established delivery center next to assembly plant.

Increased company capital to JPY 18,000,000-

1983Established Racing Sec. factory.

Opened branch in Fukuoka, Japan. Opened branch in Kanagawa, Japan.

1984Opened branches in Sendai, Japan and Hiroshima, Japan.
1986Established assembly and delivery factory in Shiki, Japan.
1987Opened automotive division dedicated to selling imported vehicles.
1988Established painting line.

Established rim manufacturing factory in Okayama, Japan.

1989Opened branch in Nagoya, Japan.

Expanded factory in Okayama, Japan.

1990Opened AMP as the Planning and Development Sec.
1991Established delivery / storage center in Okayama, Japan.
1992Established casting factory in Okayama, Japan.

Opened branch in Takamatsu, Japan.

1993Opened branch in Niigata, Japan.

Opened branch in Omiya, Japan. Opened branch in Sapporo, Japan. Opened branch in Kanazana, Japan.

1998Established photo studio.
1999Established prototype trial line.
2000Increased company capital to JPY 18,950,000-.

Established factory in Sakai, Japan for rim manufacturing, assembly and delivery

2001Increased company capital to JPY 95,000,000
2002Increased company capital to JPY 137,025,000
2003Acquired the certificate of Quality Management System ISO 9001

Notable products

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SUV</span> Type of automobile

A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pashley Cycles</span> UK pedalcycle manufacturer

Pashley Cycles is a British bicycle, tricycle and workbike manufacturer based in Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, England. The company was started in 1926 and still manufactures bikes in the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Four-wheel drive</span> Type of drivetrain with four driven wheels

A four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 or 4WD, is a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer case providing an additional output drive shaft and, in many instances, additional gear ranges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isuzu</span> Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer

Isuzu Motors Ltd., commonly known as Isuzu, is a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. Its principal activity is the production, marketing and sale of Isuzu commercial vehicles and diesel engines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rebadging</span> Changing badges of the same car

In the automotive industry, rebadging is a form of market segmentation used by automobile manufacturers around the world. To allow for product differentiation without designing or engineering a new model or brand, a manufacturer creates a distinct automobile by applying a new "badge" or trademark to an existing product line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Honda CR-V</span> Compact crossover SUV manufactured by Honda

The Honda CR-V is a compact crossover SUV manufactured by Japanese automaker Honda since 1995. Initial models of the CR-V were built using the same platform as the Civic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toyota Century</span> Full-size luxury car

The Toyota Century is a lineup of full-size luxury cars and limousines produced mainly for the Japanese market, serving as Toyota's flagship car within Japan; globally the unrelated Lexus LS series is Toyota's flagship luxury model. Production of the Century began in 1967, and the model received only minor changes until redesigns in 1997 and 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cutaway van chassis</span> Incomplete vehicle for further assembly by a manufacturer of conversion vans, RVs, ambulances, etc

Cutaway van chassis are used by second stage manufacturers for a wide range of completed motor vehicles. Especially popular in the United States, they are usually based upon incomplete vans made by manufacturers such as Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors which are generally equipped with heavier duty components than most of their complete products. To these incomplete vehicles, a second stage manufacturer adds specific equipment and completes the vehicle. Common applications of this type of vehicle design and manufacturing includes small trucks, school buses, recreational vehicles, minibuses, and ambulances. The term "cutaway" can be somewhat of a misnomer in most of the vehicle's context since it refers to truck bodies for heavy-duty commercial-grade applications sharing a common truck chassis.

Mahindra & Mahindra is an Indian automobile manufacturing company headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It was established in 1945 as Mahindra & Mohammed and later renamed Mahindra & Mahindra. Part of the Mahindra Group, M&M is one of the largest vehicle manufacturers by production in India; the Mahindra Tractors subsidiary is the largest manufacturer of tractors in the world by volume. It was ranked 17th on a list of top companies in India by Fortune India 500 in 2018. Its major competitors in the Indian vehicular market include Maruti Suzuki India and Tata Motors. Dr. Anish Shah is the current CEO and Managing Director of Mahindra & Mahindra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BBS Autotechnik</span> German car wheel manufacturer

BBS Autotechnik GmbH, formerly known as BBS Kraftfahrzeugtechnik AG, is a high-performance automobile wheel design company headquartered in Schiltach, Germany. BBS produces wheels for motorsport, OEM, and aftermarket applications. The company is often credited as pioneering the three-piece wheel and advancing the aluminum wheel industry over many decades, and remains one of the largest producers of automobile wheels in the world. It is a part of KW Automotive since 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Subaru</span> Japanese automobile manufacturing company

Subaru is the automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Subaru Corporation, the twenty-first largest automaker by production worldwide in 2017.

YHI International Limited is an automotive, industrial automotive and products distribution company based and headquartered in Singapore. It has also made a name in alloy wheel manufacturing as an original design manufacturer (ODM) through "Advanti Racing" brand. The company founded in 1948 as sole proprietorship, by the late Mr. Tay Chin Kiat.

Renault India Private Limited is a fully owned subsidiary of Renault, France. It currently offers three models in the Indian market: budget car Kwid, the compact MPV Triber and the compact SUV Kiger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Honda Motor Company</span> American automobile distributor

The American Honda Motor Company, Inc. is the North American subsidiary of Japanese Honda Motor Company. Founded in 1959, the company combines product sales, service and coordinating functions of Honda in North America, and is responsible for distribution, marketing and sales of Honda and Acura brand automobiles, Honda Powersports products, Honda Power Equipment products, Honda Engines products, Honda Marine engines, and the HondaJet aircraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NTN Corporation</span> Japanese manufacturer of bearings

NTN Corporation is one of the most prominent manufacturers of bearings in Japan, second domestically only to NSK Ltd. The company is one of the largest exporters worldwide of friction-reducing products, such as constant-velocity joints.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lamborghini Urus</span> SUV manufactured by Lamborghini

The Lamborghini Urus is a high performance luxury SUV manufactured by Italian automobile manufacturer Lamborghini. It was introduced in December 2017 as a 2018 model year production vehicle. The Urus is the first Lamborghini SUV and five-door vehicle in the modern era, and the second SUV in the brand's history after the LM002, which was produced between 1986 and 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Honda CR-V (fourth generation)</span> Compact crossover SUV manufactured by Honda

The fourth-generation Honda CR-V is a compact crossover SUV manufactured by Honda since 2011, replacing the third-generation CR-V. It debuted as a concept model called the CR-V Concept in Los Angeles, United States in September 2011, and went on sale in the country in December 2011. It was introduced in Japan in November 2011 and went on sale a month after.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geely Yuanjing X1</span> Motor vehicle

The Geely Yuanjing X1 is a mini CUV produced by the Chinese manufacturer Geely Auto, positioned below the Geely Yuanjing X3. In 2020, Geely discontinued the model.

Toyota Motor Kyushu (TMK) is a manufacturing subsidiary of Toyota established in 1991 and focused on the production of Lexus cars, engines, and hybrid systems. Its headquarters and single assembly plant are in the city of Miyawaka in Japan's Fukuoka Prefecture. Car production started in December 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Honda CR-V (fifth generation)</span> Compact crossover SUV manufactured by Honda

The fifth-generation Honda CR-V is a compact crossover SUV manufactured by Honda since 2016, replacing the fourth-generation CR-V. It was first unveiled on 13 October 2016 in Detroit, United States. The fifth-generation of CR-V was available in 5-seater and 7-seater variants in markets other than North America.

References

  1. 1 2 Acoba, Paulo (20 August 2015). "Takeshi Tanaka Founder And President Of Work Wheels Passes Away". Art of Gears. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 WORK Wheels - Company Information
  3. WORK Wheels - Manufacturing
  4. admin. "Products". WORK Wheels USA. Retrieved 2025-02-05.
  5. "PRODUCTION END|WORK COMPANY LIMITED". WORK COMPANY LIMITED (in Japanese). Retrieved 2022-11-23.
  6. WORK Wheels - History