Shigeru was initially founded in Gunma, Japan in 1957 under the name of Kyowa Sobi by a member of a farming family, Shigeo Shoda. At first, the company assembled glasses and floorboards, though its sales were not consistent. To increase capital, Shigeru then benchmarked a local company and started to expand into painting metal parts.
Between 1960 and 1980, the group grew in value, scope, international prowess, strength in its core members, and its relationship with Subaru.
On November 18th, 1986, IBM announced the closure of its Greencastle facility, the company’s first major layoff since it began operations in 1953. As a result, 1,000 people were laid off — nearly 12% of the city’s 8,403-person population at the time.
For years, the Hoosier state had been working to find foreign automotive investments, having lost to neighboring states. Mitsubishi had facilities in Illinois, Toyota in Kentucky, Honda in Ohio, and Nissan in Tennessee. That’s where Subaru stepped in.
With the IBM facility closed in Greencastle, Shigeru — now Shigeru Co., Ltd. — laid a new foundation in the city under its partnership with Subaru in 1987. Heartland started its production at this facility in 1989.
Heartland Automotive’s Greencastle facility
Aside from two Heartland Automotive facilities in Indiana (one in Greencastle, another in Lafayette), Shigeru Group now has locations in Japan, China, and Thailand.
Heartland Automotive’s Lafayette facility
