TaeguTec
 | |
| Private company | |
| Industry | Machinery |
| Predecessor | Korea Tungsten Co. |
| Founded | 1916 |
| Headquarters | Daegu, South Korea |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people |
Han Hyun-jun (President and CEO) |
Number of employees | 1,700+ |
| Parent | Berkshire Hathaway |
| Subsidiaries | 26 |
| Website |
www |
TaeguTec Ltd. (Korean: 대구텍), formerly known as Korea Tungsten Company, is a multinational corporation headquartered in Daegu, Korea. It is the largest cutting tools manufacturer in the Far East, also Korea's largest manufacturer of tungsten cutting tools and hard metal tools with the only integrated tungsten production plant in the world. TaeguTec group has 26 overseas subsidiaries and over 130 distributors and 30 agents in 50 countries across Europe, Asia, Australia, and the American countries. Considered as the world's oldest manufacturer of tungsten and related products, the group has earned reputation for its excellent global marketing and large production capacity worldwide. In addition to the initial 80 per cent stake purchased in 2006, Warren Buffett paid additional 2 billion dollars for the remaining stake in IMC, of which TaeguTec was a part.[1] Through this acquisition, TaeguTec became Berkshire Hathaway's first and only wholly owned subsidiary in Korea. On October 25, 2007, Buffett flew to Daegu to tour TaeguTec and to meet with the management.[2] On March 21, 2011, Warren Buffett re-visited the firm to attend TaeguTec Plant 2 inauguration ceremony and later met with Korean President Lee Myung-bak.
History
Before 1960s
- Apr. 1916: Outcrop of Sang-dong mine discovered in Gangwon Province, South Korea
- Feb. 1947: Exported Scheelite to the U.S. for the first time
- Sep. 1952: Established Korea Tungsten Company (state enterprise)
- Export: US$16,457,000 (56% of Korean total)
- Employee: 4,287
- May. 1959: Constructed chemical processing plant
1960s
- Jun. 1961: Established New York office
- Sep. 1961: Established R&D Center
- Nov. 1961: Established London office
- Feb. 1963: Established Tokyo office
- Nov. 1966: Won official commendation from government for export
- Ranked second among Korean companies
- Nov. 1967: Won official commendation from government for export
- Ranked third among Korean companies
- Feb. 1968: Established POSCO as a joint venture with the national government (Government 75%, Korea Tungsten 25%)
- Nov. 1968: Won official commendation from government for export
- Nov. 1969: Won official commendation from government for export
1970s
- Nov. 1972: Constructed APT (Ammonium Para Tungstate) plant
- Feb. 1974: Constructed tungsten metal powder and tungsten carbide powder plant
- Nov. 1976: Established Rotterdam office
- Nov. 1977: Constructed cemented carbide plant
- Products: Blank, carbide insert, mining tools, brazed tools
- Oct. 1978: Constructed coating plant (CVD-TiN production)
- Dec. 1979: Constructed tool holder plant
1980s
- Jan. 1981: Developed special coating substrate
- May 1983: Rotterdam office in Netherlands moved to Germany
- Jul. 1985: Common R&D cooperation between Korea Tungsten and POSCO
- Oct. 1985: Developed CERMET inserts
- Nov. 1988: Constructed carbide roll plant
- Nov. 1989: Constructed tungsten wire plant
1990s
- Mar. 1991: Constructed ceramic plant
- Feb. 1994: Sang-dong tungsten mine closed
- Mar. 1994: Privatized and taken over by Keopyung Group
- May. 1995: Established tungsten wire plant in China
- Aug. 1998: Korea Tungsten bought out by Iscar
- Aug. 1998: Company name changed from Korea Tungsten Co. to TaeguTec Ltd.
- Feb. 1999: Headquarters moved from Seoul to Taegu
- Apr. 1999: Constructed new Marketing Center
- 1999: Established TaeguTec USA (currently Ingersoll USA)
- 1999: Established TaeguTec Germany (currently Ingersoll GMBH)
2000s
- Mar. 2000: Established TaeguTec India in Bangalore
- Mar. 2000: Established TaeguTec UK in Leeds
- Jul. 2000: Constructed new R&D Center
- Dec. 2000: Established TaeguTec China in Shanghai
- Mar. 2001: Established TaeguTec Brazil in Sao Paulo
- Jun. 2001: Established TaeguTec Scandinavia in Copenhagen, Denmark
- Jun. 2002: Established TaeguTec Italy in Turin & Milan
- Jun. 2004: Established TaeguTec Japan in Nagoya
- Jun. 2004: Constructed new Tech Center and Carbide Rod factory
- Jun. 2005: Established TaeguTec Australia in Sydney
- Oct. 2005: Established TaeguTec Turkey in Istanbul
- Mar. 2006: Established TaeguTec Slovakia in Žilina
- Apr. 2006: Established TaeguTec Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur
- Jan. 2007: Established TaeguTec Thailand in Bangkok
- Feb. 2007: Established TaeguTec Spain in Barcelona
- Mar. 2007: Established TaeguTec France in Champs-sur-Marne
- Jul. 2007: Established TaeguTec Indonesia in Bekasi
- Nov. 2007: Established TaeguTec Poland in Wroclaw
- Apr. 2008: Established TaeguTec Russia in Moscow
- Apr. 2008: Established TaeguTec Ukraine in Dnipropetrovsk
- Jun. 2009: Established TaeguTec South Africa in Johannesburg
- Sep. 2009: Established TaeguTec Czech in Pilsen
- Nov. 2009: Established TaeguTec Hungary in Törökbálint
- Nov. 2010: Established TaeguTec Argentina in Buenos Aires
- Nov. 2011: Due to open TaeguTec Plant 2
Awards and events
- Received a "$100 million Export Tower" award (2005)
- Warren Buffett visited TaeguTec (2007-10-25)
- Received a "$200 million Export Tower" award (2008)[3]
- Warren Buffett attended TaeguTec Plant 2 inauguration ceremony (2011-03-21)
