Yoshizo Shimano, the former president of Shimano Inc. and the third son of founder Shozaburo Shimano, passed away on July 3 from chronic heart failure at the age of 85.
You cannot help but think of the name Shimano when thinking of bicycle components. Established in 1921, the company rose to global dominance in the bike industry largely thanks to Shimano’s work. He established the company’s first overseas division, the Shimano American Corporation, in 1965, where he served as president for 27 years. He went on to oversee European sales in 1972.
Shimano became the president of Shimano Inc. in 1995, and in ’98, he broadened Shimano Inc.’s global reach even more so by making English the official language of the company, according to Nikkei. (Overseas sales now make up 90 percent of the company’s revenue.) He remained onboard as part of the company’s leadership as chairman emeritus since 2011. The company is now headed by Shimano’s nephew, Yozo Shimano, who is the company’s fifth president.
“The contributions he made to Shimano’s business cannot be measured and his impact will be felt forever,” the company said of Shimano in the announcement.
Shimano was an avid cycling enthusiast and also served as the president of the Bicycle Association of Japan. He is survived by his wife Ikuko Shimano.
When she’s not out riding her mountain bike, Jessica is an editor for Popular Mechanics. She was previously an editor for Bicycling magazine.
