My job is to achieve sustained growth and raise the corporate value of Sumitomo Metals.

Sumitomo Metals commits to its basic strategy
We commit to our basic strategy of “strengthening our strengths” and “accelerating distinctiveness”, and reinforce our intangible assets that do not appear on the balance sheet, which include human and technology assets.

Accelerate globalization
We expand our overseas operations to capture the growing steel demand at overseas markets. Such expansion includes our new operations in progress at Brazil, Vietnam, India, Thailand, and the United States. The key to success in our overseas operations is the competency of manufacturing bases in Japan. The Japanese bases will enhance its competency and becomes the mother factory to support the overseas operations, and will focus on higher-end products to boost our corporate value.

Solving environmental problems through technology
Our efforts to curve CO2 emission are twofold: reducing emissions during our own manufacturing processes and developing products that contribute to the reduction of carbon emissions by our customers. Those products include seamless pipes that enable development of lower carbon emitting natural gas, and high-tensile steel sheets for lightweight vehicles. Procurement of raw materials is getting tougher as the market becomes oligopolized and tight. We are tackling this problem by developing new technologies to utilize lower-grade raw materials.

Becoming ”the Best Steelmaker with World-Leading Capabilities" through the merger with Nippon Steel
We are studying toward the merger with Nippon Steel to raise our value more quickly. Both companies share the common belief of “contributing to society through steelmaking.” We also share the realization that we will be a globally competitive steelmaker by combining the strengths of both companies. Through the merger, we will globalize faster while enhancing technoloy and cost competitiveness, and become ”the Best Steelmaker with World-Leading Capabilities."

The Sumitomo Spirit we inherited, the relationship of trust with our customers and suppliers, our superior technologies, and the commitment and pride of our people are examples of our valued intangible assets that have been nurtured during our history over 100 years. Although the huge earthquake on March 11 damaged facilities and equipment at Kashima Steel Works, we resumed the damaged operations in a short period by mobilizing our intangible assets. The determination of our colleagues to improve and evolve is most important. We will bring those assets into a new company to be created through the merger with Nippon Steel. This is the beginning of creating "the Best Steelmaker with World-Leading Capabilities." I ask for your support.

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