BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 6. ITOCHU Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, has announced the establishment of FORJ Co., Ltd. in partnership with Mukai Kogyo Co., Ltd., based in Ehime Prefecture, Trend reports via the company.
The move is part of ITOCHU’s strategy to strengthen its Japanese cedar lumber business targeting the growing North American market.
As part of the agreement, ITOCHU will acquire Mukai Kogyo’s production facilities and assets related to Japanese cedar lumber. This initiative comes amid increasing calls to expand the use of domestically produced logs and lumber, particularly as cedar and hinoki trees planted during Japan's economic boom over 50 years ago have now matured and are ideal for harvesting.
For years, ITOCHU has sourced lumber from Mukai Kogyo, distributing the products in North America through its subsidiaries, ALTA Forest Products LLC and Master Halco, Inc. With the establishment of FORJ Co., ITOCHU plans to enhance the development, production, and export of high-quality cedar lumber products to meet rising demand in the North American construction and building materials market.
The new venture will focus on improving existing production facilities acquired from Mukai Kogyo and exploring opportunities to expand its production base to meet growing demand.
This initiative aligns with ITOCHU’s management policy, “The Brand-new Deal – Opportunities Are Shifting Downstream,” reflecting its commitment to responding to evolving consumer needs and reinforcing its position in the global building materials industry.
With this expansion, the ITOCHU Group reaffirms its dedication to sustainability and leveraging Japan’s natural resources to fuel international markets while contributing to domestic industry growth.
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