History

July 1956

Toshizo Kawai founded a sole proprietorship, Hanshin Hagane Shokai,
as a specialty dealer in specialty steel and special tool steel at 3-9 Nishi-Shiriike, Nagata-ku, Kobe

September 1964

Reorganized as Hanshin Hagane Shokai Co., Ltd. (capital: ¥3 million)

April 1968

Adopted machine structural steel as its main product line

August 1969

Opened the Kakogawa Branch and increased capital to ¥10 million

July 1972

Opened the Higashi-Kobe Branch and increased capital to ¥20 million

October 1974

Increased capital to ¥30 million

September 1977

Relocated the Kakogawa Branch into the Kakogawa Industrial Park

November 1977

Established a sales management office and introduced a Management by Objectives (MBO) system

April 1978

Added stainless steel, cast and forged steel, steel plate, non-ferrous metals, and more to its main product line

October 1978

Installed computers at all branches.
Based inventory control on the steel manufacturing number (heat/charge number)

October 1980

Established quality control regulations, outsourcing control regulations, and a quality control committee
Created the Sales Department "Operations Manual"

April 1981

Increased capital to ¥39 million. Founded the Shinyukai (employee association)

April 1982

Established a new Machining Section

October 1982

Abolished the sales management office and established a new Corporate Planning Office

April 1983

Opened the Akashi Branch. Established a clerical-efficiency improvement committee and worked on retention schedules

January 1984

Added a machine shop to the Akashi Branch

April 1985

Launched CI (corporate identity) activities

April 1989

Changed the company name to Hanshin Metalics Co., Ltd., and
newly established its Management Philosophy, Management Policy, Action Guidelines, and symbol mark

November 1989

Increased capital to ¥50 million

November 1991

Increased capital to ¥70 million

March 2005

Built a steel center and relocated the Kakogawa Branch and machine shop there

April 2007

Obtained JIS Q 14001:2004 (ISO 14001:2004) certification

2011

Established the Shanghai subsidiary

December 2011

Opened the Kyoto Branch

2014

Established the Aerospace Division

November 2014

Obtained JIS Q 9100 certification

November 2015

Opened the Shikoku Sales Office

September 2017

PT Mitra Tama Gemilang became an affiliated company

July 2022

Opened the Takamatsu Branch

November 2025

Relocated the Shanghai subsidiary to Suzhou

July 2026

Changed the company name to METALIX Inc.