is a Japanese automotive parts manufacturer which mainly produces automotive lights and

mirrors A mirror, also known as a looking glass, is an object that reflects an image. Light that bounces off a mirror forms an image of whatever is in front of it, which is then focused through the lens of the eye or a camera. Mirrors reverse the ...

. As an original equipment manufacturer, it competes with

Stanley Electric Stanley Electric Co., Ltd. is a Japanese manufacturer of electric lights. Stanley has 36 consolidated subsidiaries, three associated companies, 67 factories and offices in 18 countries, and over 16,000 employees. The main customers for its ...

and Koito Manufacturing.

History

Ichikoh resulted from the 1967 partnership and 1968 merger of two companies: , founded in June 1903 as a manufacturer of signal lamps, and , founded in April 1916 as an auto parts manufacturer. In 1987, the company launched an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

branch, Ichikoh Manufacturing, Inc. (IMI), in

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

, which was

liquidated Liquidation is the process in accounting by which a company is brought to an end. The assets and property of the business are redistributed. When a firm has been liquidated, it is sometimes referred to as wound-up or dissolved, although di ...

in 2007. In 2000, Ichikoh entered a partnership with

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

auto parts maker

Valeo Valeo is a French global automotive supplier headquartered in France, listed on the Paris Stock Exchange ( CAC Next 20 Index). It supplies a wide range of products to automakers and the aftermarket. The Group employs 113,600 people in 29 countri ...

, with a plant in

Foshan Foshan (, ; Chinese: 佛山) is a prefecture-level city in central Guangdong Province, China. The entire prefecture covers and had a population of 9,498,863 as of the 2020 census. The city is part of the western side of the Pearl River Delta m ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

opening in 2006 as a joint venture between the two companies. Ichikoh became a subsidiary of Valeo in 2017, and its mirror manufacturing operations were spun off in 2023.

References

Auto parts suppliers of Japan Japanese brands Manufacturing companies established in 1939 Japanese companies established in 1939 {{Manufacturing-company-stub