Built Minebea Firm Over 31 Years : Japanese Executive T. Takahashi Dies

Takami Takahashi, chairman and chief executive of Minebea Co. Ltd., a major Japanese manufacturing company that under his reign fought off a rare takeover attempt by U.S. investors in 1986, has died of acute pneumonia at his Tokyo home. He was 60.

His death Wednesday was announced by NMB (USA) Inc. in Chatsworth, where Minebea’s North American operations are headquartered. NMB employs about 3,200 people in the United States, including 540 in Chatsworth.

Takahashi had led Minebea since 1958. During his tenure, the company became one of the world’s leading producers of miniature ball bearings and other components, and its annual sales grew from $96,000 to $1.5 billion.

Takahashi was a nonconformist and a pioneer executive in Japan, in part because he built Minebea with the help of more than two dozen corporate takeovers at a time when takeovers were frowned upon in Japan.

Such acquisitions by Japanese companies are more common now.

Ironically, in 1985, Minebea itself became the target of a foreign takeover attempt--an even rarer event for a Japanese company. A Los Angeles investment firm called Trafalgar Holdings and a British firm called Glen International jointly made an offer of $1.43 billion. Trafalgar included Charles W. Knapp, a financier and former head of Financial Corp. of America, an Irvine-based savings and loan company.

Takahashi and Minebea vigorously fought the takeover, however, and in April, 1986, Trafalgar and Glen abandoned the bid.

Takahashi is survived by his wife, two children and two grandchildren.

NMB said he was succeeded as chairman of Minebea by the company’s vice chairman, Iwao Ishizuka.