The general meeting of the Sunco-kai, organised by Sunco Industries Co., Ltd., was held on 19 March this year at Hotel New Otani Osaka.
The Sunco-kai is an association composed of the company’s partner manufacturers, established with the aim of promoting mutual development by serving as a forum for information exchange and quality improvement.
This year, the association comprises 200 member companies. At the 21st general meeting, 263 participants from 181 member companies attended, where the business plan for the current year was presented.
Strengthening supply systems through close collaboration through Sunco-kai
At the beginning of the general meeting, Yoshihide Okuyama, President of Sunco Industries, took the stage and spoke about the previous fiscal year’s performance and the management policy for the current year. He noted that net sales for the previous fiscal year reached 100.5% of the prior year, indicating steady performance, with an increase of approximately ¥200 million in absolute terms despite remaining largely flat.
Okuyama also referred to the policy of implementing full inspection starting this fiscal year. He stated: “At present, the scope is limited to certain products, but we will gradually expand it with the aim of eventually applying it to all products. Rather than leaving it solely to manufacturers, we intend to place greater emphasis on ensuring quality as a trading and distribution company.”
Regarding the role of the Sunco-kai, he added: “Through the Sunco-kai, we aim to strengthen communication and deepen discussions on manufacturing in order to achieve greater stability in lead times.”
Achievements from shopfloor strength: Nine companies honoured with quality awards
At the end of the general meeting, the Excellence in Quality Awards were presented to members who voluntarily engaged in initiatives to improve and enhance quality. This year, six companies received the Excellence in Quality Award, two companies were honoured with the Special Excellence in Quality Award for particularly outstanding performance, and one company was selected for the Highest Excellence in Quality Award as the top performer.
Speaking about receiving the Highest Excellence in Quality Award, Yasunori Tsujimoto, President of Kongo Byora, said: “I feel that this award is the result of each employee steadily working together to improve quality. Going forward, we will continue to uphold the standards this award represents and work even more diligently as a united company to produce excellent products.”
After the general meeting, a social gathering was held, where members strengthened their connections in a warm and friendly atmosphere. It is expected that interaction and information exchange among members through the Sunco-kai will contribute to the further development of the fastener industry.
