Launched in January 2005, Stainless One was formed through a merger of NI Stainless Center Co., Ltd., formerly a stainless coil center in the Nissho Iwai Group, and the Kanto region stainless steel sales operations of Metal One Steel Products Corporation (formerly NI Steel Products Co., Ltd.). The integration of the previously separate corporate manufacturing and sales functions has transformed the functionality of the coil center.

With around 30 years of history, including its period as Stainless Processing Co., Ltd., NI Stainless Center's predecessor, this freshman among the Metal One Group's subsidiaries has a long history as a coil center. Nisshin Steel Co., Ltd. also invested in the company in 1997 and most of the raw materials it handled were turned into coil for Nisshin Steel.

Monthly production volume is now around 2,300 tonnes. The company is also renowned in the industry for inventory sales of standard-sized sheets for retail use. "Demand for stainless steel has slumped a bit recently, but we hope to strengthen our functions and increase our sales by deepening relations with Nisshin Steel, one of the stainless steel industry's leaders," President Shintaro Oiwa told Value One.

One of the company's strengths is the slitting of thinner gauge plates and sheets, such as stainless steel foil, and one of its main specialties is the ability to cut extremely thin stainless foil of 0.03 mm into strips. The only approved stainless foil plant at the Nisshin Steel Ichikawa Works, its unique manufacturing technology gives it a sales advantage over other companies. IT-related demand for stainless foil has boomed recently and there are plans to update the facilities with a small slitter in 2006 to enable even higher precision processing.

Regarding future goals, President Oiwa remains confident: "Under our three-year plan from 2006, our goal is to raise production volume to 3,000 tonnes and place emphasis on the thin sheet sector, such as foil with high added value. We also want to strengthen our efforts to expand sales of Nisshin Steel's own steel varieties, particularly stainless foil, specialty springs and specialty surface-treated embossed materials that Nisshin Steel has designated as strategic products.