Vermicular

About

Vermicular’s origins date back to 1936, when the Hijikata family founded Aichi Dobby, a small foundry specializing in the manufacture of cast iron dobby looms—essentially industrial sewing machines—in Nagoya, Japan. Over time, the foundry became renowned for its ability to cast and machine with extreme accuracy. However, when the industrial momentum of the 20th century came to a close, Aichi Dobby’s position grew precarious. The company transitioned into a tier-2 supplier, manufacturing industrial cast iron components for ships and cranes. Survival as a tier-2 supplier was very challenging, especially during the prolonged recession that hit Japan in the 1990s. As a result, the company became financially unstable, with employees dwindling year by year.