- Kusano
- On April 1, 2012, Yamatake Corporation changed its name to Azbil Corporation, which was a significant event for the company. What was the reason for the name change?
- Onoki
- The name "Yamatake" was taken from the name of Yamaguchi Takehiko, the company's founder. Despite its long history, it was changed to "azbil" because I believe a company's name is extremely important in conveying what the company is all about. In 2006, on the occasion of our 100th anniversary, we formulated a new group philosophy and symbol based on the direction that our businesses should take in the 21st century. That was the year we adopted the word "azbil," which was first used as the group symbol, and later as the group name. So azbil has been in use for 5 years now.
- Kusano
- Now that the azbil Group is at a new departure point, what sort of enterprise are group companies aspiring to become?
- Onoki
- We are aiming to become a group that benefits customers through the following 4 points. First, providing safety and peace of mind to customers through automation; second, creating comfortable environments through automation; third, facilitating the collaboration of man and machine to bring about a sense of challenge and achievement; and the fourth point is contributing to global environmental preservation through all of the above.
- Kusano
- Since a company must succeed in the business it is in and earn a profit, I think the azbil Group plays a significant role as a business partner that assists companies in their effort to excel.
- Onoki
- Customers can find better solutions to their problems by working in tandem with the azbil Group, which specializes in a different field from the customer. For that we must have the strength to meet the challenges faced by the customer. Furthermore, we can't earn the customer's trust unless the company is in good shape. Our business involves more than just supplying products. Customers who purchase our products will use them for 20 years or more, so we must be able to provide consistent service and maintenance over the long term. Therefore, the azbil Group must build up the capabilities necessary to service products over a long span of time. In that sense, the growth of the azbil Group means more than just expanding our business scope. We must also ensure stable business continuity by measures such as fostering outstanding human resources and maintaining a healthy balance sheet.
- Kusano
- In terms of expanding the business from a global perspective, what sort of enterprise are you aiming to become?
- Onoki
- The global development of our business is one of our priority measures going forward, and our approach to doing business overseas is no different from our business in Japan. For our international business, we will strive to earn the patronage of our global customers based on the azbil Group's unique "human-centered automation." Although we are facing more severe competition overseas,and although there are degrees of difference from country to country, we will apply the same 4 points in order to benefit our customers overseas. By doing our best as a group to solve the customers' problems, we can win the regard of customers worldwide. And the day will come when customers will insist on working with the azbil Group.
- Kusano
- I'm looking forward to seeing the azbil Group's future. Thank you for this interesting and important talk.
What is azbil?
azbil (automation zone builder) reflects the azbil Group's philosophy of realizing safety, comfort, and fulfillment in people's lives and contributing to global environmental preservation. As the group's symbol, azbil signifies the application of automation technologies to build a zone where the key elements of the group's philosophy, safety, comfort, and fulfillment, can flourish.
