With Japan’s entry into global trade, we saw the first wave of what we today call globalization. SiberHegner enabled and facilitated this trend, particularly through the development of the export of raw silk, Japan’s number one export item in the late 19th century. Due to our specialist knowledge, Siber-Hegner enjoyed a market share of over 40% in the raw silk market in 1890.

Due to our commitment and entrepreneurial spirit, our activities went far beyond the conventional trading effort. We imported silk seeds (the eggs of the silkworm moth) to upgrade the Japanese species, engaged Swiss and Italian textile specialists to improve the Japanese methods of processing raw material into silk fabrics and did research as well as quality control in our own laboratory. This promotion of the Japanese silk industry was later repeatedly acknowledged and honored by both the Japanese Imperial Court and the Japanese government.

It all goes to show: by never being satisfied with where we are and constantly seeking ways to improve, we ensure that we stay ahead of the game.