Sekiya Fumitada(from Japan), Vice Gereral Manager of SMC (China) Co
Primarily producing and selling metal filters, Japan’s SMC Co, Ltd was established in 1959 under the original name of Shoketsu Kinzoku Kogyo Co, Ltd in Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo. It was listed on the stock market and renamed as SMC Co., Ltd in 1986 following its successful developments in automatic and pneumatic machine manufacturing area.
This year marks the 50-year anniversary of its founding. The company’s sales volume was 358 billion Japanese Yen in 2007 whilst its products’ market share amounted to 26 percent internationally, establishing it as the number one player within its global sector. SMC (China) Co., Ltd was established in BDA in 1994. It proved to be a fortuitous choice by the company.
After a considerable period of research, the company chose to establish a presence in Beijing rather than in one of the coastal alternatives. This was because SMC wished to stand apart from many foreign businesses opting to move to China’s coast. A number of factors led to SMC establishing its facilities in the capital. One of key reasons was that Beijing, as the academic, cultural and political center of China, had access to a huge array of talented prospective employees.
Furthermore, both the development opportunities and the infrastructure offered by BDA our expectations. Work on the first plant of SMC (China) Co., Ltd was completed in 1996. In the same year, its capability was upgraded with the introduction of the most advanced technological machinery available on the market.
In the following year, our made-in-China products began to be exported to overseas markets for the first time. Such was the success of this initiative that the launch of a second plant in China swiftly followed.
Between 2006 and 2007, our China Technology Center and SMC No.4 plant were both founded in BDA. At present, the exports volume from our China facilities is 35 times that of its figures for 1997 whilst its sales volume is 42 times that achieved 12 years ago.
The number of employees has also increased, rising from a few dozen at the end of 1990’s to more than 4,200 today. Currently SMC has two key objectives-to establish itself as a world-class pneumatic machinery production base and to increases its overall market share in China.
In order to achieve both, SMC is committed to continuing its capital investment program in China. SMC China’s progress, as the leading production base in SMC’s worldwide strategy, has continued unabated.
Through continually introducing advanced production machinery and securing investment, it has managed to increase its competitiveness compared to many rival operations. I am Japanese and have come to China for business three times a year, on average, since 1996.
Since 2005, I have been working in China continuously for four straight years. During that time, I have witnessed the dramatic changes China has gone through in terms of industrial and commercial systems, as well as in its environmental development.
Next year, ETOWN Light Rail Line will extend through to BDA. This will make our employees’ lives both easier and more convenient. Putting it briefly, SMC’s success today is directly due to BDA’s support.
SMC will continue to aspire to a brighter future, alongside the on-going development of BDA. As a leading company, SMC has been attached to BDA for years. Through several rounds of capital increase, SMC and BDA have now written several glorious chapters together.
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