Mabuchi Motor Co., Ltd.
One of the world's largest makers of tiny electric motors, Mabuchi Motor supplies the small DC and brushless motors that power everyday gadgets—car door mirrors and power windows, electric toothbrushes, hair dryers, shavers, and toys. The company began in postwar Japan when founder Kenichi Mabuchi invented a compact, battery-powered horseshoe-shaped motor in 1947, a breakthrough that made model trains and other battery toys affordable, and he formalized the firm as Mabuchi Motor in 1954. Its ultra-compact brushless motor line even carries the playful name "Thumbelina."