“Our partnership with NGK dates all the way back to 1993, when we were racing Mazda MX-6 race cars with V6 motors.  We had a great Research and Development program with NGK that assisted us in developing the new race car.  This partnership led to winning the 1999 ST Driver’s Title.  And here we find ourselves over 10 years later still in Mazdas, partnered with NGK in looking for that last little edge to get us to the front of the pack. We put NGK Spark Plugs in everything we race, including our 1986 Mazda RX-7 Chump Car racer.” – shared Will Nonnamaker

When it comes to spark plugs, NGK is the World Leader. Makers of spark plugs for virtually every automotive, motorcycle, marine and small engine application, NGK dominates.

 

Starting with a single product in 1936, NGK's extraordinary growth can be attributed to a philosophy of manufacturing the product where it is going to be used. In fact, a substantial number of NGK Spark Plugs and oxygen sensors sold in the United States are made right here in America. One of the benefits of this approach is the ability to work closely with manufacturers in developing products tailored specifically to their needs. The most tangible manifestations of the success of this philosophy have been the construction of fourteen factories in eight nations throughout the world, as well as NGK Spark Plugs being specified as original equipment by the majority of the world's auto manufacturers.
 

History of NGK Spark Plugs (U.S.A.), Inc.

1966 - NGK Spark Plugs (U.S.A.), Inc. was established as a subsidiary of NGK Spark Plug Co, Ltd., of Japan ( www.ngkntk.co.jp ). Its purpose was to establish and develop a market in the United States for NGK spark plugs and NTK ceramic products.

 

1976 - NGK Spark Plugs Mfg. (U.S.A.), Inc. was established to assemble spark plugs in the United States with construction of our Irvine, California facility completed in 1981.

1984 - NGK Spark Plugs Mfg. (U.S.A.) merged into NGK Spark Plugs (U.S.A.), Inc. Ultimately, distribution facilities (1987) and corporate headquarters (1993) were also moved to the Irvine facility.

 

1994 - NGK Spark Plug Mfg (U.S.A.), Inc. was established in West Virginia to produce oxygen sensors. This state of the art facility is located on a forty-acre campus which includes 113,000 square feet of manufacturing and a 70,000 square foot warehouse. Initial oxygen sensor production began in July of 1995 and the warehouse addition in August of 2001.

1996 - NGK Spark Plugs (U.S.A.), Inc. established the operation of a new Technical Center in Wixom, Michigan.

2002 - NGK combined NGK Spark Plugs (U.S.A.), Inc and NGK Spark Plug Mfg. (U.S.A.), Inc. into NGK Spark Plugs (U.S.A.) Inc., a West Virginia corporation. The corporate headquarters remain in Irvine, California and the sales headquarters in Wixom, Michigan.

 

2005 - NGK Spark Plugs (U.S.A.), Inc. moved it's corporate headquarters from our manufacturing facility in Irvine, California to our Wixom, Michigan location. Located approximately 35 miles outside of Detroit, the Wixom Corporate office encompasses: Corporate operation, technical center, a newly constructed engineering, sales and marketing facility.

2008 - NGK Spark Plugs Mfg. (U.S.A.), Inc. begins production of NGK spark plugs in our newly expanded West Virginia facility located in Sissonville WV.

Through the years, our commitment to excellence evolved into an ambitious research and development program. Ceramics, at the core of superior spark plug technology, spawned the creation of NTK Technical Ceramics(www.ntktech.com). The resulting products, including IC Packages, Piezoelectronics, Ceramic Filters, Fine Ceramics, and Ceramic Cutting Tools set new industry standards.

That same commitment became the driving force in the development of additional lines of products such as NGK Wire Sets, NTK Oxygen Sensors, NTK Knock Sensors and a variety of other NTK sensors (www.ngkntk.co.jp).

It also resulted in a series of world firsts for the industry. These included:

• Introduction of copper core spark plugs to the consumer market.
• The pioneering development of new ceramics and its revolutionary application to integrated computer circuitry.
• Introduction of the "V-Groove" spark plug, which proved ideal for clean-burning, lower-emission engines.
• Introduction of Iridium spark plugs for OEM and performance markets.
• Continuing environmental and anti-pollution efforts.

With state-of-the-art manufacturing, inventory and distribution facilities in Irvine, California, Sissonville, West Virginia, Chicago, Illinois and ISO 14001 & ISO/TS 16949 certification, NGK is dedicated to providing our customers with the finest products and service possible.

For further information on NGK, please link to their site at:

http://www.ngksparkplugs.com/

The 2012 Team Sahlen campaign in the

GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series is supported by:

 Mazda, Mazdaspeed, SimXperience, Alcon, Racetech, NGK, Cool Shirt, Racing Print Media, Mothers Polish, TheRaceSite.com, Western New York Flash, Grassroots Motorsports, ASC Industries, Iannetti Design Ideas, CM Racing, Quarter Master, BBS Wheels, MSI Racing Products and Endurance Karting