Director Interview: Yoshinori Sasaoka

What is your mission?

I believe that understanding the top management's policies and intentions, formulating strategies, and executing and realizing them to contribute to the company's development is the most important mission.
To achieve this, one of my missions is to share the company's management policies and strategies with all employees, and I aim to improve communication with them as much as possible.

Additionally, I consider it my mission to openly accept opinions, suggestions, consultations, etc., from employees as needed, thereby playing a role like the lubricant of KIMOTO.

What are KIMOTO's strengths and weaknesses?

Our strength lies in valuing employees and putting them first. This is evident from the fact that we do not need a union because we respect our employees. In terms of technology, we excel in coating and sandblasting techniques. These core technologies make us a unique company globally, and how we leverage them is also a mission. Additionally, despite the significant changes brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, our ability to establish remote work without any issues is our greatest strength.

Identifying weaknesses is difficult, but I feel we are not good at PR. I think our PR for new products and technologies is weak, so we need to improve our appeal to the world. Additionally, our sales power in the U.S. is weak, and addressing this is also part of my mission.

What is the most memorable thing about your work so far?

In my 10th year with the company, the founding president called me and said, 'I want you to go to America.' It was sudden; I didn't speak much English and had no interest in going abroad. I wasn't someone who raised my hand saying 'I want to go!'—I was quite content enjoying my life in Japan (laughs).

I was assigned to transfer to America, initially for 3 to 5 years, but it turned out to be about 9 years. At that time, as KIMOTO was growing, we focused on expanding into America by establishing a branch in New York, a major U.S. city. Later, I went to America again from 2001 for 8 years, totaling 17 years. Thanks to this, I was able to live comfortably in America.

Do you have any beliefs about your work that you value?

It means fulfilling my responsibilities until I retire from KIMOTO.
Having a long history with the company and experience living abroad, I consider it my mission to contribute to KIMOTO by leveraging that experience. I also hope to assist in the management of the next generation in any way I can.

※The above content is all from the time of the interview (June 2023).