Overview
At Shimano, we have always seen fishing as an art – a form of expression that is made more pleasurable by being able to work with the highest of quality tools.
Why
Across the planet, the Shimano name is synonymous with fishing.
Founded in the early 1920’s by Shozaburo Shimano, Shimano started off as a company known for precision engineering. Today the company is regarded as one of the forerunners in product innovation and a leader in the industry.
Shimano prides itself on its ability to design and produce fishing tackle that features cutting edge technology such as High Efficiency Gearing (HEG), A-RB and TC4 Construction.
With more than 75 employees in the fishing tackle division in Irvine, California headquarters, Shimano American Corporation has a national sales force of 60 of the most seasoned professionals in the industry that have a passion for fishing.
With an eye towards the future, Shimano is heavily involved in youth development around the country and environmental and governmental affairs that help protect the land and sea.
History
From an angling perspective, every individual who has owned and enjoyed using Shimano tackle has a reason to thank a Japanese visionary name Shozaburo Shimano, who in 1921 declared “I aim to make Shimano’s products the best in Kansai, then the best in Japan, and finally the best in the world.
For over 80 years, Shimano has concentrated on precision engineering, one step at a time. Creating the most innovative products and processes you can hold in your hand today.
Corporate
At Shimano, responsibility means striving to do what is right, being a good neighbor in the community, and integrating social and environmental priorities into our factory and our relationships with dealers, distributors and business partners. It also means communicating about our efforts to address social and environment issues that matter to our customers.
Corporate responsibility is part of our heritage. It is also an integral part of our business strategy. Our customers’ trust is a precious asset and one we strive to preserve and build every day. We know we must have that trust to achieve our vision of being “our customers’ favorite product and way to fish.”
At Shimano, responsibility means striving to do what is right, being a good neighbor in the community, and integrating social and environmental priorities into our factory and our relationships with dealers, distributors and business partners. It also means communicating about our efforts to address social and environment issues that matter to our customers.
Charity Support
Shimano American Corporation and its charitable foundation have established these primary focus areas:
• Youth development
• Environmental protection
Shimano American Corporation is a proud supporter of the Future Fisherman Foundation. The Future Fisherman Foundation is the angler recruitment and education arm of the American Sportfishing Association, the leading recreational fishing trade association. The Future Fisherman Foundation unites the sportfishing industry with a nationwide network of state outdoor educators, national conservation groups, and youth organizations, offering a variety of fishing and boating programs, equipment, and services to community groups and schools across the country. These efforts help people of all ages have safe and enjoyable fishing experiences that foster conservation ethics. To learn more about the Future Fisherman Foundation, please visit their website at
www.futurefisherman.org.
We work hard to understand the complex issues that confront our industry and how we can make a significant difference. As you will see, we invest in a commitment to industry leadership. And, on this Web site we share what we are doing and seek feedback.
Environmental
We are committed to advocating the wise recreational use and conservation of our natural environment for the long term benefit of our customers and for the future of our company.
While maintaining the quality of our products and our manufacturing processes, we will also continue to look for ways to improve our natural environment and maintain the health and safety of everyone at Team Shimano.
We are committed to work actively to increase opportunities for people to enjoy fishing and to ride a bike.
We strive to promote fishing and cycling as safe and healthy outdoor activities which help to teach us to respect and care for our natural world.
We are committed to promote cycling as an ‘environmentally friendly’ mode of transportation that can help to reduce urban traffic congestion.
ISO 14001
Shimano American Corporation is a registered ISO14001 company, reflecting our commitment to protecting the environment.
At Shimano American Corporation, we are dedicated to creating recreational products that not only put us in touch with our natural environment, but also create a more natural and responsive interface between the environment and ourselves.
The people who are Shimano American Corporation believe that the integration of environmental issues into our business culture will yield superior products. We will strive to lead by example and are committed to:
• Compliance with applicable environmental regulations, codes and standards;
• Prevention of pollution and;
• Continual improvement in our environmental performance.
It is our intent to be recognized by our customers, employees and community as a responsible business committed to environmental protection and preservation.
Take Me Fishing
Get Hooked on Family Fun
With my hectic schedule as an adult, it was hard to find time to go fishing with my own family. Between work, school, and activities, we could never relax together. I was always looking for a way for us to spend more quality time with one another.
Then I remembered the great times that I had fishing with my family when I was young. So one weekend, I gathered the family and we headed out to a nearby lake. The peace and quiet was just what we needed to reconnect with one another. And we had lots of fun too!
"Take Me Fishing" Program
For many years Shimano has been growing the industry through dedicated programs that help in the recruitment of new anglers.
At a time when many parents are concerned that their kids spend far too much time indoors, fishing is a good way to motivate them to get off the couch. Fishing differs from many other forms of outdoor recreation because it not only gives kids a lasting way to connect to nature, it improves family communication in ways few activities can
Through the Take Me Fishing program, organized by the non-profit Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation, Shimano has committed to getting a consistent message out that helps to get children involved in fishing. More than just messaging, Shimano has taken an active role on the board of Take Me Fishing, where we’ve taken part in developing programs that helped children learn the joys of becoming life-long anglers. Shimano’s commitment to Take Me Fishing was most noted when we received the 2004 Take Me Fishing Manufacturer of the Year award and set the path for all those within the industry to follow.
To learn more about Take Me Fishing and how you can get your children involved in the excitement, visit www.takemefishing.org.