Founded in December 1951 to produce turbines and pumps for ships, SNM’s predecessor, Hiro Machinery Co., Ltd., immediately faced the challenge of a downturn in the shipbuilding industry. As the industry bounced back, however, Hiro thrived, and by 1959 the company was able to pay out a 30% dividend. In the same year, Hiro became part of Sumitomo Heavy Industries, further strengthening its management function. Thereafter, Hiro weathered two additional shipbuilding downturns, attained a world-class level of technology, began producing products for land-based facilities, and exhibited steady growth.

In November 1973, Hiro Machinery merged with another Sumitomo Heavy Industries company, Nippon Suiryoku Kogyo Co., Ltd., and Shin Nippon Machinery Co., Ltd. was born. Adapting since then to a changing world, by 2008 SNM had grown to achieve sales of approximately 30 billion yen.

The birthplace of SNM, Kure is now home to the Kure Works, SNM's main production facility. Lying on the Seto Inland Sea, the region offers a warm climate and a beautiful natural environment, and its many ruins and artifacts from the Jomon Period (14,000 to 400 BCE) give testimony to a high level of ancient human activity. According to the Shoku Nihongi, "A ship was ordered to be built in Aki Province for the Imperial embassy to China," reflecting the prominence of the area in the Chugoku region since the Nara Period (eighth century CE). Today, Kure is a midsized city in the southeast of Hiroshima Prefecture with an area of 354 km2 and a population of 250,000. Industry is thriving, and shipbuilding remains prominent.

The climate of the region is warm throughout the year, snow rarely accumulates in winter, and its geographical position makes typhoon damage uncommon. Kure and the surrounding areas along the coast are part of the Setonaikai National Park and offer a natural environment famed for its pristine beauty. At the top of Mount Noro (839 m), one may look down upon the many islands of the Seto Inland Sea, and Mount Ishizuchi on the island of Shikoku, considered a sacred mountain since ancient times, is visible in the far distance.

In neighboring Hiroshima City, one may visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, which is recognized throughout the world as a symbol of peace, as well as popular Itsukushima Shrine, which is numbered among the Three Views of Japan and registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.