Located in Santa Clara, California, Yamatake Sensing Control aims to further expand Yamatake's presence in the U.S. by offering an assortment of sensing and control instruments for the factory automation market. YCV Corporation, the other U.S. subsidiary, was founded in 1996 to provide control valves and related products to process automation users.

Yamatake Sensing Control will be engaged in the import, sales, development and maintenance of such control products as photoelectric sensors, proximity sensors and temperature controllers, all of which have won high acclaim in Japan's semiconductor, electric/electronic and automotive markets. Backed by its proven product line and broad application expertise, Yamatake Sensing Control aims to meet the growing demand for sophisticated sensing and control in the American continent, particularly in the semiconductor and automotive industries. In addition, a tie-up with a U.S. delivery company assures fast, dependable delivery of Yamatake products, direct from its inventory in the U.S.

Through marketing activities in the U.S., Yamatake Sensing Control expects to accumulate a wealth of information and expertise for further development of its control products business on a global scale.

Yamatake Sensing Control is 100% subsidized by Yamatake Corporation with capital of $1 million. It will start operations with six employees. Yoshiyuki Aoki, of Yamatake's International Business Division, has been appointed President of the new company. First-year sales are expected to reach 500 million yen ($4.5 million), to climb to 2.5 billion yen ($22.7 million) in five years.

Yamatake Corporation, its six Japanese subsidiaries and fifteen overseas affiliates form the Yamatake Group. Working closely together in building and industrial automation, these companies conserve energy and labor, improve safety and provide comfortable environments. The Yamatake Group employs 7,000 people and had 2000 sales of 169.6 billion yen ($1.6 billion).