“From Business Succession to New Challenges: Valuing the Voice of Every Employee | Kato Light Metal Industrial Co., Ltd.”

We perform aluminum extrusion molding as well as processing and assembly. In an era of constantly diversifying demands, we actively introduce the latest equipment and technology to respond swiftly to these needs. Utilizing state-of-the-art aluminum extrusion machines, we efficiently produce a wide variety of aluminum shapes.

To maximize production efficiency, our entire company works together to ensure timely, high-quality extrusion molding, even for projects with strict deadlines. Our manufacturing line is equipped not only with aluminum extrusion profiles but also with various facilities necessary for improving quality and finishing processes. We provide products that are trusted by our customers, with consistent quality management from extrusion to processing, assembly, and packaging.

Initially, when I became a working adult, taking over the company was not on my mind. I did ponder during my middle school years whether I should take over the company, but this thought gradually changed as I progressed through high school and university. The decision to join the company was significantly influenced by a suggestion from an acquaintance. I am deeply grateful to the company for allowing me to grow from birth to adulthood. It was this sense of gratitude that motivated me to take the path of business succession.

After graduating, I joined a trading company, then had experiences running my own business, and later as a consultant, I supported over 300 companies with management improvements. These experiences were varied and seemed to accumulate by chance, but in hindsight, they feel like they were all gained in preparation for the eventual turnaround of the company.

After the succession, the first issues I tackled were related to ‘people’ and ‘costs’.

Right after I joined the company, I realized that employees were hesitant to express their own opinions and thoughts. This was due to the company’s history, existing culture, an atmosphere of unease within the company, and a lack of management training for supervisors. Our employees are very conscientious, deeply thoughtful, and committed to their work. They are eager learners and do not cut corners in their work.

Firstly, we prioritized establishing psychological safety. To create an environment where employees could confidently speak up and take action, we enhanced management training. Concurrently, we clarified our mission, vision, and values and reaffirmed our organizational culture and shared values. We also restructured meetings to encourage participation and speech, enhancing the overall execution ability of our staff and encouraging the use of individual opinions and ideas for product and service improvement. Furthermore, we are reviewing our HR systems to put our established mission, vision, and values into concrete practice.

After the business succession, we faced challenges such as a passive management style that was merely influenced by market fluctuations and a lack of a clear decision-making axis in response to customer demands. The lack of clarity in management policies and organizational goals was felt as a significant issue.

We began by examining flexible procurement methods to adapt to market changes, implementing detailed cost calculations for each product, and clarifying and reconfirming management policies. In particular, we re-evaluated our quoting methods during price revisions, moving away from industry trends to more detailed estimates as a basis for pricing.

To maintain transparency in management, we share management information and achievements with all employees. We disclose not only sales and profits but also daily costs such as electricity bills, and we continuously report the results of initiatives such as electricity cost savings. Thanks to this, employees have become more proactive in their engagement. We also have a promise to return the profits to the employees if the profit margin exceeds a certain standard. As a result, employees’ ideas, such as those aimed at saving on electricity costs, have been implemented in real initiatives, and the results are tangible. I truly appreciate the efforts of our employees in these endeavors.

People are a vital foundation of a company. At our company, we respect individuals and manage our business accordingly. We believe that the sustainability of management begins with valuing people.

We place great importance on the voices from the field. We strive to create an environment where it’s psychologically and physically easy to share opinions, and we have been gradually enhancing our welfare programs. While I am responsible for the final decisions, company policies are formulated together with our employees. We value proactive suggestions from our staff and continuously provide support for their concerns and challenges.

As part of my role, I believe it’s crucial to provide support and make decisions when employees are uncertain. Data analysis is important, of course, but I also value intuition.

Yes. Previously, our in-house meals were limited to bento boxes, but now we’ve made arrangements to include bread and snacks as well. We’ve also introduced ice vests and improved the working environment. We are making these changes incrementally based on employee feedback.

I’ve definitely noticed an increase in employee contributions compared to the past. In recent meetings, there’s been a rise in proactive sharing of opinions and suggestions. I believe these changes are the result of consciously providing an environment that encourages expression and continuing to respect their opinions and suggestions. We will continue to value the voices of our employees and work on improving the overall culture and creating a more comfortable working environment.

Looking ahead, we plan to deepen our collaboration with venture companies. We are already cooperating with four ventures, combining their unique technologies and ideas with our manufacturing expertise to create new products and services.

Four years since I joined, our efforts are gradually taking shape. Our activities have been featured in newspapers, drawing attention from many people. Our characteristic is to create new value by partnering with venture companies that have financial constraints, leveraging each other’s strengths.

Ultimately, our goal is the realization of a ‘supportive aluminum society.’ This comes from our desire to contribute to society through our technology and products. We aim to be a company that embodies our mission, vision, and values and provides value not only to our employees but also to the wider society by achieving our profit targets. To this end, we will continue to work on various fronts, including restructuring our personnel system, organizational reform, and technological development.