No single technical genius.
Our team of professionals, not just craftsmen,
Exceeds customer expectations by 120%.
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Hatanotechko Co., Ltd.
- Turning (accommodating small-lot / high-mix / short lead time production)
Yuji Hatano
- Prefecture
- Aichi
- Business Activities
- Turning (accommodating small-lot / high-mix / short lead time production)
- Company Name
- Hatanotechko Co., Ltd.
- Representative Name
- Yuji Hatano
- Location
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〒454-0932
4-2107, Nakajimashinmachi, Nakagawa-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi, Japan
- Phone Number
- 052-383-1511
Factory Stories
The Second Generation of Hatano Iron Works Co., Ltd.
Hatano Iron Works Co., Ltd. undertakes turning of parts for machine tools and construction machinery. Currently, Yuji Hatano is leading the company, having succeeded his father, the founder.
"I've been a turner since I was in junior high school."
For Yuji, turning was a familiar part of his life, and performing machining work to earn pocket money was commonplace.
He also particularly enjoyed geometry among his favorite subjects in mathematics, finding pleasure in reading drawings and calculating angles and tolerances. He even made bicycles from scrap frames and, if a necessary cutting tool wasn't available for machining, he would make it himself. He was very dexterous.
Although Yuji spent his boyhood feeling that this job was his calling, he apparently didn't like it when he first joined Hatano Iron Works Co., Ltd.
"My previous job at the technical research institute was cooler."
Nevertheless, he continued to work at Hatano Iron Works Co., Ltd. because it suited his lifestyle, which at the time revolved around his passion for basketball.
If I'm going to do it, I'll win! Aiming to be a convenience store.
Yuji started dedicating himself to work about 10 years ago.
"I played basketball to my heart's content, so this time I decided to throw myself into work. And if I'm going to do it, I want to win."
With a changed mindset, Yuji approached his work with the passion and competitive spirit he cultivated as an athlete. When he set a goal to increase sales from 50 million yen to 100 million yen 10 years ago, he was reportedly laughed at by those around him who said, "That's impossible." However, Yuji persevered and achieved 100 million yen in sales four years later.
The rapid growth of Hatano Iron Works Co., Ltd. is attributed to its aim of providing 'convenience like a convenience store, responding immediately when customers are in need.'
Hatano Iron Works Co., Ltd.'s Strength is 'Convenience'
Hatano Iron Works Co., Ltd. does not have the latest machinery for specialized machining. Nor does it have craftsmen with outstanding, superhuman skills. Nevertheless, Hatano Iron Works Co., Ltd. continues to meet customer demands and has earned high trust. This is because Hatano Iron Works Co., Ltd. is 'convenient' for its customers.
"Convenience is not something we claim ourselves; it's what our customers feel. We aim to be so convenient that our customers perceive us as such."
What customers desire is not specialized machining that drives up unit costs. Nor is it difficult technology that only one person in the world can perform. It's an idea that solves problems when they don't know what to do. It's the responsiveness to immediately address what's needed right now.
Hatano Iron Works Co., Ltd. offers the 'convenience' that customers seek. This is why repeat orders increase, with customers choosing Hatano Iron Works Co., Ltd. again and again.
The Difference Between Professionals and Craftsmen
"Professionals and craftsmen. I believe they are similar yet distinct." A craftsman's focus is on their work, products, personal feelings, and pride. Money follows their skill.
On the other hand, a professional's focus is on the customer, and money is always involved.
"Even if you make a good product, if a customer says, 'The product is good, but I don't like your personality,' you're out. A professional's job is to satisfy the customer, making them happily pay and say, 'Please do it again.'"
Hatano Iron Works Co., Ltd. aims to be a group of 'professionals,' not just 'craftsmen.' Finishing products precisely as requested is a given. The job of a 'professional' is to ensure customer satisfaction throughout all processes, from initial consultation to delivery and payment.
The Criterion for Judgment is 'Aesthetics'
Yuji's criterion for making choices is 'aesthetics.' He believes one should make decisions based on what they consider most beautiful, aligning with their own aesthetic sense. For example, brass products are often used in places people touch, so they are polished to a shine. Iron products, like automotive parts, are used in areas not touched by human hands, so polishing is not necessary. Yuji says that if polishing something to a shine, regardless of where or how it's used, is one's 'aesthetic,' then that choice is valid.
However, Yuji's 'aesthetic' involves using imagination regarding how parts are used and their costs, to provide the most necessary form. For brass that people touch, beauty is prioritized and it's polished; for parts used inside automobiles, cost is prioritized, and they are not polished.
"For parts to be assembled, even if they are finished exactly according to the drawing, they sometimes don't fit with other components. It's more aesthetically pleasing to create parts that fit perfectly, anticipating the assembly beyond the drawing."
The common 'aesthetic' among employees at Hatano Iron Works Co., Ltd. is not just about visual beauty or finishing according to drawings, but about imagining beyond the drawing to create the final product.
Ideas and Responsiveness that Surpass Technical Capability
Previously, Yuji would instruct employees on how to materialize ideas in his head. But now, he provides hints without giving direct answers. This encourages employees to think of ways to create products using their own skills and ideas.
"When I assign a task, saying, 'That method seems feasible,' they demonstrate incredible power."
By fostering independent thinking rather than imposing solutions, their attitude and approach to work have changed.
Even if Yuji says something slightly off-target, employees are now able to propose, "I think this way would be better," instead of just complying. By assessing the strengths of each employee, Yuji and the factory manager assign tasks, sometimes dividing them, to enhance the precision of a single product.
The ability of each individual to think for themselves and generate ideas is a great strength of Hatano Iron Works Co., Ltd. Even without employees possessing superhuman technical prowess, the responsiveness and ideas of each individual surpass technical capabilities.
"The best is to meet 120% of customer demands. 100% is about creating the product the customer wants. And the additional 20% is about proposals."
A System Where Weaknesses are Compensated and Strengths are Utilized
Yuji once thought about eliminating employees' weaknesses as much as possible and raising everyone's skill level.
But now, he identifies each person's potential areas for professionalism and thoroughly develops those aspects, allowing them to comfortably and genuinely demonstrate their abilities.
"Instead of saying, 'A can do it, so you should be able to too!', we've created a system where A covers your weaknesses, B can do what A struggles with, and you can compensate for B's weaknesses with your strengths. This way, everyone complements each other with their strengths."
Over about two years, he changed employees' mindsets and created an environment where each individual can easily demonstrate their capabilities.
A Company Where Employees Want to Come Back Tomorrow
"In the past, I used to tell employees who made mistakes to 'reflect on it.' But that would make them shrink back, hindering their growth."
With the change in the system, the response to mistakes also changed. Previously, employees would timidly insist they weren't at fault, but now they can think about why the mistake happened, how to prevent it, and how to deal with it.
As the company culture shifted to one where individuals think for themselves and complement each other, when someone makes a mistake, others can now think about how to cover it and act accordingly.
Confidence and responsibility in one's work foster a professional mindset.
Taking pride in one's work as a professional, gaining fulfillment and a sense of accomplishment, makes working at the company enjoyable.
The ability to meet 120% of customer demands stems from the company culture Yuji aims for: 'a company where employees want to come back tomorrow.'
The Company to Call First
When Customers Are in Trouble
"Let's tackle our customers' problems."
Morning meetings begin with the recitation of this slogan. Hatano Iron Works Co., Ltd. aims to be the first company customers call when they encounter a problem. To achieve this, they strive to communicate as concretely and clearly as possible, making customers feel at ease.
"If you consider who you'd be happy to consult when you have a problem, you'll immediately know how to respond."
Because Hatano Iron Works Co., Ltd. operates this way, even for issues outside of turning, such as press working or welding, customers feel inclined to "consult Hatano Iron Works Co., Ltd. if there's a problem." Even for inquiries outside Hatano Iron Works Co., Ltd.'s scope of business, they introduce companies that might be able to handle them. By becoming a 'consultation point for problems,' work naturally gathers. And customers repeat their business, saying, "Let's consult Hatano Iron Works Co., Ltd. next time."
As work increases, employees' lives become richer. A richer life makes work more enjoyable. When work is enjoyable, they can provide highly satisfying work to customers with a higher sense of professionalism. Hatano Iron Works Co., Ltd. is experiencing a positive flow, like a spiral staircase ascending to even greater heights while drawing a circle.
Hatanotechko Co., Ltd.
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