Aoki Corporation

Aoki Corporation was a Japanese construction company founded in 1947. It built many projects in Japan, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, and also invested in non-construction businesses, like hotels. It previously owned the Westin Hotels chain. The company, considered one of Japan's mid-tier zenekon (general contractors) by the 1990s, went bankrupt in 2001 and merged with Asunaro Construction in 2004.

History

Establishment

The company was established as the Bulldozer Koji Co. Ltd. in Osaka in 1947 by Masuji Aoki, a former Imperial Japanese Navy commander.[1] It opened a Tokyo branch office in 1948.[2] In 1969, the company was renamed Aoki Corporation.[2]

The firm was a "newcomer" to the Japanese construction industry, and found it more difficult to win projects than the larger, traditional firms did.

References

Ian McLean. Construction fame built on family ties South China Morning Post, 26 March 1983^

The History of Asunaro Aoki Asunaro Aoki Construction Co., Ltd., retrieved 13 April 2018^

W.K. Hui. Overseas contractors in Hong Kong: activities and business policies University of Hong Kong, 1988^

$2,000m metro contracts awarded South China Morning Post, 2 March 1976^

Sidney M. Levy. Japanese Construction: An American Perspective Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1990^

Aoki goes under with 522 billion yen in liabilities The Japan Times, 7 December 2001^

Daniel F. Cuff. Westin Hotels Names Chairman's Wife Chief The New York Times, 23 March 1989^

Richard D. Hylton. Trump Aims to Turn Most of Plaza Hotel Into Condominiums The New York Times, 9 April 1991^

Tokyo orders contractors to disband cartel South China Morning Post, 8 September 1989^

Hotel firm seeks protection The Japan Times, 25 June 2003^

Roger Farrell. Organisation, Motivations and Case Studies of Japanese Direct Investment in Real Estate 1985–94 Australia–Japan Research Centre, 1998^

Brian Woodall. Japan Under Construction: Corruption, Politics, and Public Works University of California Press, 1996^

Jimmy Leung. 12 die in lift plunge South China Morning Post, 3 June 1993^

Cliff Buddle. The heavenly ladder that led to death South China Morning Post, 6 May 1995^

Ida Cheung, Lindy Course, Angela Li, Charlotte Parsons, Beverly Chau, Mark Huges. Firm fined $70,000 over hoist plunge South China Morning Post, 9 March 1994^

Keith Wallis. Fined builder in $4b contract South China Morning Post, 13 June 1995^

Bonny Tam. Inquiry into lift tragedy near end South China Morning Post, 8 June 1993^

Keith Wallis. Bridge collapse report reveals glaring errors South China Morning Post, 9 February 1996^

Sake flows as tunnels unite South China Morning Post, 24 April 1980^

Striking sewage surveyors sacked South China Morning Post, 16 September 1980^

Grand plans for new Tuen Mun hospital South China Morning Post, 29 August 1986^

List of Current Contracts as at 31/12/96 Hong Kong Airport Core Programme, Hong Kong Government, retrieved 13 April 2018^

Georges Binder. Tall Buildings of Asia and Australia Images Publishing Group, 2001^

industry	Construction, lodging
fate	Merged with Asunaro Construction
successor	Asunaro Aoki Construction
founded	1947 in Osaka, Japan
defunct	2004
hq location city	Tokyo
hq location country	Japan
num employees	6,500
num employees year	2001
website	aoki.co.jp (defunct)

History

Establishment

International growth

1990s events

Bankruptcy and merger

Notable projects

References