SHIMA SEIKI MFG.,LTD.
6222・Prime Market・Machinery
Business
Shima Seiki Mfg., Ltd. is a knitting machinery specialist founded in 1962 in Wakayama, Japan. Its core business, the Flat Knitting Machine Business, sells computerized flat knitting machines (including WHOLEGARMENT® Flat Knitting Machines) worldwide. The company also operates the Design System Related Business, offering the apparel CAD/CAM software series "SDS®-ONE APEX" and the automatic cutting machine "P-CAM®"; the Glove and Sock Knitting Machine Business; and Others, which includes maintenance parts and textile raw materials. The company has sales subsidiaries in Europe, Asia, and the Americas, and is working to transform itself into a solutions provider supporting the entire supply chain of the apparel and fashion industry. Consolidated net sales for FY2026 (ending March 2026) were ¥33,509 million.
Business Model
The company's core Flat Knitting Machines are sold globally either through direct sales from its own manufacturing or via distributors, with a business structure in which maintenance parts and repair & maintenance revenue (Others segment) accumulates steadily as the installed base of operating units grows. In the Design System business, the company is promoting recurring revenue through APEXFiz® subscription licenses, moving away from reliance on hardware sales. The automatic cutting machine P-CAM® is being developed as a second core business pillar following Flat Knitting Machines.
Company Strengths
The company commercialized the world's first seamless computerized flat knitting machine (SWG) in 1995, and first shipped its latest flagship model, the "SWG®-XR," in 2022. It holds numerous proprietary technologies, including slide needles and a movable sinker device, forming a technical entry barrier that is difficult for competitors to imitate in a short period. At the 2023 ITMA exhibition, the company displayed the full lineup of its next-generation "R Series" machines.
The company has sales subsidiaries and offices in Europe (UK, Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Morocco), the US, and Hong Kong, Shanghai, Dongguan, Thailand, South Korea, and Vietnam, allowing it to build its own sales and service network with direct access to major markets. Maintenance parts and repair & maintenance revenue (Others business sales of ¥6,084 million in FY2026 (ending March 2026)), which accumulates along with the growing installed base of machines, serves as a stable earnings foundation.
The company is the world's only manufacturer capable of manufacturing and selling both knit (flat knitting machines) and woven fabric (automatic cutting machine P-CAM®) products, enabling it to propose solutions covering the entire apparel supply chain. The P-CAM® R has been recognized for its "world-class high productivity and high cutting performance," and is being cultivated as a second business pillar following the Flat Knitting Machine Business.
ENVALITH's Perspective
Performance Trend
Revenue peaked at ¥37,886 million in FY2023 (ended March 2023), declined to ¥32,520 million in FY2025 (ended March 2025), and then recovered modestly to ¥33,509 million (+3.0%) in FY2026 (ending March 2026). The operating loss narrowed sharply from ¥11,914 million in the prior period to ¥1,720 million, and net income turned positive at ¥856 million. However, the main drivers of this improvement were the disappearance of one-off costs from the prior period—such as inventory valuation losses and impairment losses—and the recognition of a ¥1,229 million gain on sale of investment securities, meaning the recovery in core earning power remains limited. As for external factors, signs of political stabilization in Bangladesh and an economic recovery in the Italian market in Europe contributed to increased unit sales, while a decline in unit sales in the Chinese market and intensifying competition with Chinese manufacturers acted as headwinds. For FY2027 (ending March 2027), the company forecasts revenue of ¥41,000 million and operating income of ¥300 million (based on assumed exchange rates of ¥157 to the US dollar and ¥183 to the euro).
Growth Strategy
Aiming for net sales of ¥41,000 million in FY2027 (ending March 2027) through four priority measures under the medium-term management plan "Ever Onward 2026"
Promoting thorough cost reduction and expense cuts alongside strengthening the production system. In FY2026 (ending March 2026), selling, general and administrative expenses were significantly compressed from ¥20,548 million in the previous fiscal year to ¥13,617 million, and companywide expenses were also reduced from ¥6,900 million to ¥6,076 million. The policy is to continue investment in R&D and human capital.
Promoting the expansion of the number of APEXFiz® subscription license contracts and appeal through solutions that integrate digital technology. In FY2026 (ending March 2026), sales in the Design System Related Business improved to ¥3,036 million (+7.8%), with segment profit of ¥671 million. Adoption is progressing among fashion-related educational institutions both in Japan and overseas.
Promoting early rollout of the new cost-performance model shaping machine, mainly in the Asian region. Sales volume increases in Bangladesh and the Italian market in Europe drove Flat Knitting Machine sales in FY2026 (ending March 2026) to ¥23,866 million (+2.7%), a recovery trend. However, the launch of the new model machine scheduled for the second half was delayed, and orders fell significantly to ¥21,128 million (-19.3%).
Focusing on expanding sales of P-CAM® by targeting overseas markets and high-value-added zones as key targets. In FY2026 (ending March 2026), demand showed a recovery trend, mainly in the domestic market. Efforts to strengthen entry into non-apparel markets (industrial materials, lifestyle-related fields) are also progressing, actively utilizing exhibition and business meeting opportunities both in Japan and overseas.
Last updated: July 19, 2026