Our parent company, ITOCHU Corporation, began in 1858, when Chubei Itoh began linen trading in Japan at the age of 15. The company started in the U.S. in 1918. From then until the 1980s, ITOCHU International built a strong portfolio of trading businesses.

We initially focused on acting as a liaison between Japan and the United States, primarily in the textile trade area, then expanded into other wide-ranging areas from grain and canned goods to aircraft, electronics, and services, such as foreign exchange and leasing. Throughout the 1980s, we extend ed our trading activities even further, moving aggressively beyond our original focus on Japan to a global perspective.

In the 1990s, our strategy changed, enabling us to pursue the best of two cultures. Recognizing that trading alone would not achieve our high profit and growth objectives, we simultaneously invested heavily in U.S. market leaders and in growing companies, creating a portfolio of North American subsidiaries. This new approach to business, rooted in dynamic portfolio management, has produced ITOCHU International's largest growth ever.

For the years ahead, ITOCHU International will build on these achievements and our always improving focus on speed, street smarts, and strategic portfolio management.