ATP, founded by Yuto Aoki in 2004, started as a tool trading company.
Then, in 2014, it ventured into manufacturing, and now has a system in place to meet diverse needs, including component manufacturing from various materials such as iron, non-ferrous metals, and resins, as well as steel fabrication and assembly.

"I'm ambitious, so I want to do everything. We handle metals, aluminum, and cast iron, and we accept both short lead time and mass production orders. We receive orders by proposing appropriate prices and delivery times for our customers' various needs."

Aoki says the joy he finds in manufacturing is seeing customers pleased when their needs are met.

While successfully managing the trading company with strong sales skills, Aoki began to explore new paths.
One reason was the possibility of losing customers due to employee resignations, precisely because sales skills were a strength.

"I don't think it's right for the president to lead sales just because of this risk."

Another trigger was the Lehman Shock.
Customers facing difficult business conditions began using the internet, where products were sold at lower prices than ATP.

"If we match internet prices, our profit margins decrease. And once we lower prices, customers continue to demand those lower prices. Furthermore, sales volume was also declining, leading to a state of low profit and low sales."

To mitigate these risks as a trading company, he sought new business ventures.
After considering various businesses, he ultimately chose manufacturing.

"As a trading company, we knew there was work because we were brokering processed goods. And we also knew that few factories could accept short lead time requests. That's why I believed there was a business opportunity in manufacturing."

ATP's strength in manufacturing is its proposal capabilities.
For example, when there are two drawings, we consider whether they are correct, assuming they will be assembled and used together. If there's a possibility of error, we propose corrections to the customer.

If we notice something during the inspection phase, we make sure to inform the customer about the possibility of assembly issues upon delivery.

"We could say it's not our concern since we manufactured according to the drawing. But even just a word of communication can be a great help to the customer."

Additionally, they confirm the intent of the processing specified in the drawing and make proposals if necessary.

"For example, a treatment applied for hardness might not actually change the hardness much. In such cases, we propose alternative treatments to increase hardness or methods to reduce costs."

This ability to make proposals comes from meticulously recording data on how different materials change with various processing methods.

"We have data on changes because we measure dimensions before and after heat treatment. We also record actual measured values. It might seem tedious, but this data is our strength."