Inoue was founded over 60 years ago, in 1960. Our origins lie in delivering stainless steel required by Hitachi, Ltd., and since then, we have continued to accumulate achievements and expertise in the field of metal materials.
Today, as a solution partner for our main client, the Hitachi Group, as well as many other companies, we provide high-performance materials and products such as stainless steel, titanium, aluminum, nickel alloys, and copper to solve a wide range of challenges.
We not only supply high-quality materials to diverse industries—including energy, aerospace, semiconductors, vehicles, oil refining and petrochemicals, home appliances, and medical devices—but also offer total coordination through our engineering business (Engi-Service), which manufactures processed and composite products in collaboration with partner companies. We also promote collaborative business ventures between processing manufacturers in the same or adjacent fields, optimize supply chains, and develop new products, earning the strong trust of numerous companies both domestically and internationally.
In recent years, demand in the power plant and electric energy sectors, which require engineering expertise, has grown dramatically. As efforts toward carbon neutrality intensify worldwide, it is expected that materials promoting reduced environmental impact will see explosive growth. We believe it is Inoue’s mission to actively provide the special metals and processed components we excel at for these fields, thereby contributing to further industrial development and the realization of a sustainable society.

Starting with the procurement and sales of stainless steel and special metals, Inoue’s business model has expanded into various fields in response to customer needs and changes in the times. There is a common thread throughout our business.
That is the speed at which we propose solutions that accurately address our customers’ needs. Since 2019, we have promoted internal DX reforms, such as introducing a cloud-based order management system. By leveraging the responsiveness of our employees and company, we strive to provide optimal solutions as quickly as possible. This prevents the loss of business opportunities for both our customers and ourselves, and serves as a driving force for creating new value.
Delivering products procured from both domestic and international sources to users in the optimal form they require, and solving their challenges—continuing to meet customer expectations is our joy. We believe that a world filled with the joy of our customers is the true value of Inoue’s existence, and this attitude is common to all aspects of our business model.

To preserve and further evolve Inoue’s DNA, we are committed to creating a work environment that nurtures growth. We provide an atmosphere where each employee can freely take on new challenges at their own discretion, valuing the cultivation of their potential.
By sincerely addressing our customers’ needs and challenges, our employees refine their human qualities and experience personal growth. We expect that this will lead to the creation of their own areas of expertise and expand opportunities for them to thrive.
The driving force behind Inoue’s remarkable growth has been our people and their human qualities. All Inoue employees are specialists who have acquired advanced knowledge about stainless steel and special metals. Truly, “optimal proposals and speed are made possible by people.” We aspire to be a company that leverages the power of people and fosters human qualities—this is the guiding principle of Inoue.

In 2017, we established the Kudamatsu Sales Office in Kudamatsu, Yamaguchi Prefecture, an industrial city known for Shinkansen manufacturing. In 2019, we opened the Hitachi Sales Office in Ibaraki Prefecture to support Hitachi, Ltd., which focuses on the energy plant business. Then, in 2022, we set up the Kobe Sales Office in Hyogo Prefecture. By thoroughly implementing a regionally focused sales approach and providing detailed distribution functions, we are expanding our business network.
Our goal is to become a top-class specialized trading company in the industry. Moving forward, Inoue will continue to collect information on the latest material trends, leveraging our robust domestic and international network, and provide optimal business solutions to our customers with industry-leading speed. We sincerely ask for your continued warm support and patronage.