Masayoshi Yasui
Profile
Performance in office
Tenure
Tenure
Background
Born in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, in 1904, he worked from 1917 repairing sewing machines and making parts at the family business, Yasui Sewing Machine Co. The business changed its name to Yasui Brothers Sewing Machine Co. in November 1925, and in January 1928 launched a chain-stitch sewing machine for making straw hats, adopting BROTHER as its trademark. Lacking both the money to buy equipment and any domestic base of precision machining, he built a free-eccentric lathe in-house for machining parts in 1928, and in November 1932 achieved domestic production of a home sewing machine. He joined the founding of Nippon Sewing Machine Manufacturing in January 1934 as Senior Managing Director.
Selection
He became President in September 1950, 16 years after joining the founding of Nippon Sewing Machine Manufacturing as Senior Managing Director in January 1934. At the same founding his younger brother Jitsuichi Yasui became a Director, and Yoshiichi Yasui became a corporate auditor from June 1942, so the core of management was held by the founding brothers. Presidents before 1950 cannot be confirmed because coverage in the Japanese corporate directory begins with the 1960 edition.
Initiatives
Over his 24 years in office he expanded the company from sewing machines alone into diversification and exports. In April 1954 it began producing home knitting machines and electric washing machines, and it established Brother International Corporation in the U.S. that May and a European subsidiary in Ireland in October 1958. Cumulative sewing machine exports passed one million units in March 1959, and the company moved into portable typewriters for Western languages in May 1961 and machine tools in November 1962. In July 1962 it changed its name to Brother Industries, and in January 1963 listed on the Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka stock exchanges.
Career
Career
Brother Industries
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| 1917 | 家業の安井ミシン商会に従事 (translation pending) |
| Jan 1934 | Senior Managing Director |
| Sep 1950 | President |
| Jan 1975 | Stepped down as President |
| Jan 1975 | Chairman |
| Feb 1979 | Director, Senior Advisor |