Fuji Car Manufacturing is marking the 100th anniversary of its founding in 1925 as a forging machinery manufacturer.

Through turbulent times spanning the Showa, Heisei, and Reiwa eras, we have survived on the frontline of manufacturing by overcoming numerous trials.

During Japan's post-war reconstruction period, we delivered 60-series and 70-series passenger cars to JR's predecessor, JNR (Japan National Railways), and in the high economic growth era, we supplied Taki-type freight cars (tanker cars). In addition, we delivered streetcars to Nankai Electric Railway and Osaka Municipal Transportation Bureau (currently Osaka Metro), as well as to Seoul in South Korea. We also expanded into bridges, building steel bridges not only in Japan, but also overseas in places such as Sumatra in Indonesia.

Our shares were listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in 1954, and we became an equity method affiliate of Ube Industries during the recession of 1965. After being listed for 47 years, we filed for bankruptcy under the Civil Rehabilitation Act in 2001, forcing us to squarely confront the technical and managerial missteps we had made. But instead of trying to ignore the past, we positioned that period as a chance to lay the foundations for a fresh start.

As part of the reorganization process, we withdrew from the washing machine business and the parking garage business, adopting our current two-business structure comprising the environmental business and the vehicle business. With support from sponsors, we regained our independence via a management and employee buyout, but later, in 2014, became part of the Takeei Group through an M&A deal. We are now the only engineering company in TRE HOLDINGS, which was established in 2021 through the merger of Takeei and River and is the industry's largest player.

In line with the management philosophy we established in 2018, we aimed to contribute to the TRE Group, and embraced the challenge of once again becoming a company we could feel proud of in every area. We launched the parking garage countermeasures project, and implemented reforms, such as introducing the 6S3T initiative, that were designed to get everyone involved in improving our operations. We also transitioned to a business unit structure, overhauled our personnel system, developed a DX (digital transformation) strategy, adopted a management approach for achieving the SDGs, and promoted industry-academia collaboration.

As we move forward into the next era, what we should emphasize even more is the spirit of "leading by example". Rather than leaving change to others, we must first take action ourselves. We must build trust through deeds rather than words. From us in management to those on the frontlines of our operations in the field, we will take the next step forward with this conviction, and also with responsibility and pride.

I wish to express my heartfelt respect and gratitude to all those who have supported us and to the colleagues who have labored alongside us. Looking ahead, as we aim to become a company where all employees can say they take pride in working at Fuji Car Manufacturing, we will continue moving forward step by step.