North Mankato, MN — 2026 Nidec Power proudly celebrates the 100th anniversary of its Kato Engineering™ brand, a longstanding leader in engineered power generation solutions. Since its introduction in 1926, the Kato Engineering™ brand has become synonymous with durability, precision, and high performance in demanding applications around the world.
As Nidec marks this historic milestone, the company is not only honoring a century of proven reliability but also building that foundation to power the next 100 years of mission critical performance. The centennial underscores both the brand’s enduring heritage and its forward-looking commitment to innovation, quality, and customer partnership.
For a century, the Kato Engineering™ brand has powered mission critical operations, from naval vessels and oil and gas platforms to critical infrastructure and off-grid communities worldwide. These stories, featured throughout Nidec’s internal centennial materials, highlight how the brand’s reliable heritage has shaped some of the world’s most trusted generator solutions across industries.
A Brand Built in North Mankato, Proven Worldwide
Rooted in the Mankato area since its earliest days, the Kato Engineering™ brand represents generations of craftspeople, engineers, and problem solvers who have defined exceptional standards of performance and support. Centennial materials spotlight the brand’s origin story, founders, and facility heritage, reinforcing the deep connection between the community and the iconic “Kato” generator nameplate.
The brand’s legacy also includes strong regional partnerships with organizations such as Minnesota State University, South Central College, and Greater Mankato Area United Way, reflecting Nidec’s commitment to community partnership, service, and workforce development.
Past, Present, and Future: The Evolution of a Trusted Brand
As part of Nidec Power, the Kato Engineering™ brand continues to advance through modern technologies, rigorous quality systems, and enhanced compliance practices. Looking ahead, Nidec is investing in next generation manufacturing technologies, skilled workforce talent, and strengthened global support to ensure the Kato Engineering™ brand remains the benchmark for reliability in mission critical environments for decades to come.
The centennial theme, “Power That Endures,” captures this future focused outlook, celebrating a century of proven performance while signaling Nidec’s commitment to engineering solutions that meet the evolving needs of customers for the next century. The same principles that built the brand, practical engineering, disciplined quality, and deep customer partnership are guiding its next generation of innovations.
A Year of Centennial Recognition
Throughout 2026, Nidec will celebrate the 100year legacy of the Kato Engineering™ brand through storytelling campaigns, community events, employee recognition, and digital content. Curated centennial assets, including the official 100Year Logo, historical videos, project spotlights, and founder features will appear across Nidec Power channels during the anniversary year.
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About Nidec Power
As part of the Nidec Motion & Energy Business Unit, Nidec Power keeps life’s key players up and running. Headquartered in Mankato, Minnesota, with operations across North America and over 2,000 employees, the Nidec Power business segment keeps the power on where it matters across data centers, healthcare, oil and gas, and military.
About Nidec Corporation
Nidec Corporation is the world’s leading electric motor manufacturer with 2023 revenues of over $18 billion. Founded in 1973 and headquartered in Kyoto, Japan, Nidec is a global company comprised of over 300 group companies and100,000 employeeswith operations in more than 40 countries. A pioneer in electrification, Nidec is integral as a world-class global technology provider, localized manufacturer and development partner in industries ranging from information technology, automotive, appliance, commercial and industrial machinery. Nidec enables positive global change through innovative problem-solving.
For more information, visit www.nidec.com.