WEST has its origins in a private factory founded in 1933 by Asajiro Nishi, and named “Nishi Seisakusho” (Nishi’s factory). Beginning with the manufacture of locks and hardware mainly for vessels at Mitejima, near Osaka Port, after about a decade, the product range shifted toward the category of products for house building due to the demand of rapid economic growth.
In 1965, the factory was moved to Neyagawa at a location beside the Yodo River, which was in ancient times a main artery between Kyoto and other cities and regions. In those days, the locking system for the majority of sliding doors in Japan was still a screw-in type. Our development of the CL lock, which enables users to lock in a single action was an epoch-making event and caused a huge expansion of WEST’s market share. Following that, WEST released the Automatic Sliding Door Closer as well as the Push-Pull Lock (which releases a latch bolt by pushing or pulling the door handle). As a result of these developments, WEST became renowned as a manufacturer that creates innovative and user-friendly products.
Throughout the 1970s and 80s, along with a high increase in housing demand, our customer base expanded to include the leading house builders and door manufacturers. Our product range also widened in accordance with the needs of our clients. To meet their strict requests for quality, cost, and delivery, we have been supplying only the best products up until today.
The end of the 1980s was at the peak of the bubble economy, an era in which gaudy and gorgeous things were preferred. WEST began a new project that dared to oppose the temper of the times, because we thought it necessary to create a new product range with universality and true values, in order to further enrich the spaces of daily life. We at WEST also came to believe that the new product range must be usable in the long term while attracting a strong attachment from its users. Through this, we thought we could also carry out our social responsibility. As a result, after a process of continuous try and error, the first items in the Agaho series were created in 1922. The products that have followed the first Agaho items also embody there ideas, and indeed, most of them have received Good Design Awards (the Japanese comprehensive design evaluation and commendation system).
Our present corporate trademark, a modified letter W, was created in 1995. This shape was inspired by the tip of a Bit Key, and shows the WEST identity. WEST is proud of manufacturing locks and cylinders for the Japanese market since our establishment, and we think our roots are there. The most important requirement for manufacturing locks is reliability. Therefore, the WEST trademark is a guarantee of trust.
In 2010, “Nishi Seisakusho” (the manufacturing headquarters of WEST group) changed its company name to WEST inx Ltd. The word “inx” indicates the meaning of two words starting with “in” – “innovative” and “inspiring” – that express our company ideals, and “x” shows that the two words are joined in mutual effect. This name originates in the desire of our company to continue creating unique innovative products, and also to have a presence that may help architects and designers to create inspiring living spaces. Moreover, the name implies our stance of cutting through the coming era, and our will to revolutionize ourselves in order to match rapid changes in society.
