Sumitomo Roko held its entrance ceremony on April 1, connecting the Nagoya site and the Komaki Head Office/Plant via the web.
As a congratulatory speech, I gave the following remarks to the 117 new employees.

What I talked about

The environment surrounding us is constantly changing.
Although automobile production cuts due to semiconductor shortages and other factors have calmed down, the future remains uncertain due to tensions between nations in Russia,
Europe, and the Middle East, as well as the U.S. presidential election scheduled for the fall.

However, even in such an environment, we continue to promote our business activities in order to provide new value.
For example, we have developed "motor mounts" and "cooling hosespipes for EVs" in response to the electrification of automobiles.
We are also accelerating research and development to expand the scope of our business, including the development and launch of "Finesulight," a thin-film high thermal insulation material that contributes to environmental measures.
We continue to take on the daily challenge of evolving from being a parts manufacturer that responds to customer needs to becoming a systems supplier in areas such as sound and vibration control, energy management, and biometric sensing.
I hope that you will not be bound by precedents but rather approach our work from a variety of perspectives.

I would like to share two things with all of you who will be a part of our company's future.
The first is "Manji-nissei," which means, first of all, that as a human being,do　your sincere best, not only in business, but also in every aspect of your life.
From now on, you will be assigned to various workplaces.
Please be sure to respond sincerely to the work you are assigned.
The second is "communication."
If you have any concerns, need advice, or want to confirm something, please do not keep it to yourself but immediately consult with your supervisor or coworkers, no matter what.
I myself place great importance on communicating directly with everyone.
We will need new winds, i.e., your help, for our new evolution.
I look forward to your great growth as members of our group.

During the ceremony, I was also very pleased to hear a statement of determination from a representative of the new employees.
This year, let us continue to grow together as one, under the slogan "building a team that responds flexibly to change without being bound by past concepts," toward the achievement of 2029V and 2025P!

2024.04