The History of “K” Line
1919
Establishment of Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd.
The outbreak of the World War I created a huge demand for new ships. Along
with that demand Kawasaki Dockyard Co., Ltd., predecessor of Kawasaki
Heavy Industries, Ltd., responded with construction of stock boats.*
However, at the end of the war, demand returned to normal, resulting in an
excess of ships. Kojiro Matsukata, President of Kawasaki Dockyard, actively
pursued progressive measures even in the face of such a situation. He
thought that selling new ships overseas would only give profits to foreign
shipping companies. It was his belief that in the interest of Japan’s national
development, his company had to retain newly-constructed vessels for use by
Japan and set up a large shipping company capable of rivaling much larger
operators at the time, Nippon Yusen and Osaka Shosen. Accordingly,
Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. was founded in April of 1919.
1921
Birth of “K” Line
In 1921, Kojiro Matsukata was residing in London while serving as president of three companies: Kawasaki Kisen, Kawasaki Dockyard and Kokusai Kisen. It was then that he reached out to key persons involved with the three companies and revealed his vision for combining the fleets of the three companies into a joint operation under a single banner. Upon receiving consent, he immediately instructed the headquarters of the three to move forward with this plan. At the meeting they also discussed a trade name and funnel mark* for the new organization. Ultimately, the name “K” Line was decided, a clear and simple name taken from initials of the three companies. For the funnel mark, a white “K” against a red background, a design recognizable at a glance, was adopted. In this way, “K” Line was born in a room at an elegant, old-fashioned London hotel.
October, 1969
K Line New York is Established
Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd.’s U.S. subsidiary “K” LINE NEW YORK, INC. obtains official approval as an IATA cargo agent in the U.S.
November, 1979
“K” LINE Air Services USA Inc is established
As “K” LINE AIR SERVICE, (U.S.A.) INC.
August 18, 1984
Customs Broker License Obtained
1/1/2007
Changes Company Name to “K” Line Logistics U.S.A., Inc.
Name changed from “K” Line Air Services (U.S.A.), Inc. to “K” Line Logistics U.S.A., Inc.