Asahi Motor Wheel (AMW) was a cooperative venture among three companies. Motor Wheel from Michigan, Asahi Malleable Iron Company, Ltd., and Toyomenka from Japan joined forces to produce the highest quality aluminum wheels for OEM automobile companies in North America. Part of their process for making the wheels involved pouring a molten aluminum mixture into custom-designed molds.
KSD was hired as their U.S. design and marketing firm and tasked with producing a number of materials including annual reports, newsletters, employee retention programs, a corporate video, and eventually a new name (Alumitech) and branding.
Nearly 30 years ago, one of our first requests was to design a gift that would be presented to dignitaries from Japan and the U.S. to commemorate their first pour and the beginning of production at their new Kentucky plant.
To reflect the event and AMW’s manufacturing process, we designed a medallion that was cast in a custom die at their plant using their molten aluminum. The outer paper wrap and the custom-made wooden platform were triangular in form to represent the three-company joint venture.
The KANJI character (an ancient Chinese symbol) on the cover of the outer paper wrap is called Uma — a representation of the horse. The mirror image of this character on the face of the medallion has many meanings throughout the Far East: good luck, speed, prosperity, happiness, and health. Throughout Kentucky the horse (depicted by the image of a weathervane horse on the flip side of the paper wrap) also represents speed, strength, and prosperity.
