Corporate History

- 1944

1590		Soga Riemon established copper smelting and coppersmithing in Kyoto. He developed a smelting technique called "Nanban-buki" to separate silver from copper and then worked on mine development.
1691		Operation of the Besshi Copper Mine started.
1905		A refinery was established on Shisaka Island.
1927	July	The management of the Sumitomo Joint-stock Company and the Besshi Mining Company was divided in order to establish Sumitomo Besshi Mining Co., Ltd.
1937	June	Sumitomo Besshi Mining Co., Ltd. and Sumitomo Coal Mining Co., Ltd. merged to establish Sumitomo Mining Co., Ltd.
1939	November	Production of electrolytic nickel started.

1945 -

1946	January	The company name was changed to Seika Kogyo (Mining) Co., Ltd.
1950	March	The Metal Division of Seika Kogyo Co., Ltd. was divided to establish Besshi Mining Co., Ltd.
1952	June	The company name was changed to Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd., and at the same time, the original "igeta" emblem was revived.
1956	September	The company established Hyuga Smelting Co., Ltd. and started production of ferronickel.
1960	April	The company established Tokyo Electronic Metal Co., Ltd. It then started to manufacture germanium dioxide, and expanded its business to electronic materials.
1963	April	The company established Siporex Manufacturing Co., Ltd to start production of ALC (Autoclaved Lightweight aerated Concrete).
1964	July	The company established Sumiko I.S.P. Co., Ltd. (Currently Harima Refinery)
1965	August	Central Research Laboratories (currently Ichikawa Research Center) was completed.
1967	September	The Ome Plant was completed.

1970 -

1970	June	New Niihama Nickel Refinery was completed.
1971	February	The Toyo Smelter was completed.
1973	March	The Besshi Copper Mine was closed.
1973	May	The Kounomai Mine was closed.
1974	June	An electronics materials plant was completed in the Kunitomi District Div (currently Sumiko Kunitomi Electronics Co., Ltd.)., and production of germanium started.
1977	January	Sumitomo Metal Mining Singapore Pte. Ltd. was established. Production of lead frames started in Singapore. (Company transfer in 2017)
1977	February	Niihama Research Laboratories was established.
1981	August	High-grade gold ore veins were discovered in the Hishikari Mine in Kagoshima Pref. by the Metal Mining Agency of Japan. (currently JOGMEC)
1985	July	The ore veins of the Hishikari Mine were reached and removal of ores started.
1986	February	The company and Sumitomo Corporation jointly invested in the Morenci Copper Mine (Arizona), owned by Phelps Dodge Corporation (currently Freeport McMoRan Inc.).
1988	July	The company took equity participation in P.T. International Nickel Indonesia (currently PT Vale Indonesia Tbk) in Indonesia.
1990	July	The company took equity participation in Ballande (currently Figesbal in New Caledonia).
1992	January	The company participated in the Candelaria Copper Mine development project by Phelps Dodge Corporation.
1995	September	The company took equity participation in Jinlong Copper Co., Ltd. in China.
1997	February	Sumitomo Metal mining America Inc was established as a company that oversees the Mineral resource business overseas.
1999	September	A critical accident occurred in the Tokai Division of JCO Co., Ltd.
1999	September	As a spin-off of the Building Materials Division, Sumitomo Metal Mining Siporex Co., Ltd. was established.

2000 -

2001		Started large-scale production of automotive battery materials at Isoura Plant
2002	July	A business alliance was formed with Mitsui Mining & Smelting Co., Ltd., concerning zinc refining business, to establish a joint venture, MS Zinc Co., Ltd.
2003	February	Concerning sulphuric business, a business alliance was formed with Dowa Holdings Co., Ltd. to establish a joint venture, Acids Co., Ltd.
2005	April	Commercial production by the Coral Bay Nickel project in the philippines started.
2005	December	We took equity participation in the Ojos del Salade Copper Mine project in Chile.
2006	November	Cerro Verde copper mine commenced production of copper concentrate.
2009	August	The company took equity participation in Nickel Asia Corporation (the Philippines).
2009	September	The company decided to implement the Taganito Project (the Philippines).
2010	July	Concerning the consolidation of the copper and copper alloy fabricated businesses of Mitsui Mining & Smelting Co., Ltd. and Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd.
2011	May	The company participated in the Sierra Gorda Copper Mine development project of Quadra FNX Mining Ltd. (currently KGHM International Ltd.) in Chile.
2013	September	Commercial production started at Taganito HPAL Nickel Corporation in the Philippines.
2016	May	The company acquired additional interest in the Morenci Copper Mine (Arizona, USA).
2017	June	The company participated in the Cote Gold Project of IAMGOLD Corporation in Canada.
2019	March	Acquisition of Interest in Quebrada Blanca Copper Mine(Chile).