The company was established in 1920 when Toyo Menka Kaisha, Ltd. was formed in Osaka, Japan and took over the activities of the Cotton Department from Mitsui & Co., Japanfs largest trading company at the time. After the establishment of Toyo Menka, as with other overseas cotton operations, Southern Products Co., a company that Mitsui & Co. established in Houston in 1911 in order to buy American cotton, was transferred from Mitsui to Toyo Menka and moved to Dallas the following year. Southern Products was restructured into Southern Cotton Co. in 1924. The outbreak of World War II inevitably resulted in the dissolution of Southern Cotton Co. This business was revived after the war as Toyo Cotton Co., established in July 1952, and resumed its raw cotton buying and trading activities.
The name, Toyo Cotton Co., was formed by translating Toyo Menka Kaisha into English. Ownership of Toyo Cotton Co. was shared between Toyo Menka Kaisha, Ltd., Osaka, Japan and Jack J. Stoneham of Dallas, Texas. Mr. Stoneham was an employee of Southern Cotton Co. and it was through his initiative that this postwar subsidiary was established. Mr. Stoneham was owner of Stoneham Cotton Co. and not only did he provide half of the capital to start Toyo Cotton Co., he also provided the staff. One of these employees was Mr. Charles C. Wisler who became president of Toyo Cotton Co. on June 1, 1972 and served until May 31, 1981. Mr. Stoneham, however, was the first president of Toyo Cotton Co. and served from July 1, 1952 until December 23, 1956. At that time, he sold his stock to Toyo Menka Kaisha, Ltd. Toyo Cotton Co. then became a wholly owned subsidiary of Toyo Menka Kaisha, Ltd.
Due to expansion of the company, in 1990 Toyo Menka Kaisha, Ltd. became Tomen Corporation. Tomen Corporation continued the tradition of involvement in cotton trading that dates back to the foundation of the original company and has consistently maintained a strong position of leadership in the industry. After careful deliberations, the company decided to incorporate cotton trading as a separate company. The establishment of a new company was seen as a means of creating a platform for the maintenance and expansion of cotton trading. This new company became Toyo Cotton (Japan) Co. and was established March 1990. At this time Toyo Cotton Co., Dallas, TX became an affiliate of Toyo Cotton (Japan) Co., Osaka, Japan. Unlike Tomenfs other overseas operations, this company has specialized exclusively in raw cotton trading since itfs inception.
Both Toyo Cotton (Japan) Co. and Toyo Cotton Co. have become an important raw cotton supply base for customers in Japan as well as Southeast Asia. Toyo Cotton Co., Dallas also supplies cotton to U.S. domestic mills. Both companies operate in the interests of its customers, shareholder and employees. The customers are the spinning mills, cotton gins, and cotton producers. The shareholder is Tomen Corporation. The employees are our most essential asset and our goal, now and for the future, is to balance the interest of each for the benefit of all, without any of whom our business could not exist. We are committed to maintaining our solid reputation in the cotton industry.
Memberships are held in the Japan Cotton Tradersf Association, the Japan Cotton Arbitration Association, the Liverpool Cotton Association, the American Cotton Shippers Association and all its affiliates, and the New York Cotton Exchange.
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