During water heater manufacturing, they procured copper pipes, but when they started kitchen-related work, they began procuring different materials such as stainless steel sheets.

“As we started procuring various materials, material suppliers began asking, 'Can you also process this?' By responding to these requests, we started receiving other precision sheet metal fabrication orders.”

Amidst this, a new turning point came when a material supplier they were doing business with started handling high-precision reflective materials from Germany.

This was an aluminum material that had already undergone plating, and it was said that only two companies in Japan handled it. Since it involved processing special materials, conventional machinery could not handle it, so they introduced the latest NC machine tools.

Even though it was still sheet metal, there were many differences between kitchen-related work and precision sheet metal fabrication, which presented challenges.

“The sizes were completely different. This necessitated the introduction of high-precision machinery, and we had to master its operation. However, in the beginning, we couldn't afford such advanced machinery, so it seems we relied on our technical skills.”

They gradually established a system capable of handling precision sheet metal fabrication, such as switching from hand-drawn drawings to CAD/CAM and introducing punch presses capable of strict numerical control.

Yusuke joined Nagashima Kogyosho Co., Ltd. about 20 years ago. Before that, he was reportedly a chief mechanic for drilling machinery on oil drilling vessels.

“In my twenties, I worked on oil drilling vessels, with a schedule of four weeks on and four weeks off. At that time, I didn't want to take over the company.”

When he visited Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, for that job, he reportedly saw a product his father had worked on.

“I remember my father saying, 'This is a part for Abu Dhabi.' When I actually saw it in Abu Dhabi, I re-evaluated my father's work and realized how amazing it was. I felt that even a small factory could go global.”

Several years later, after getting married, he started helping his father with work on his days off.

“I used to think that work at a small factory wasn't profitable, but as I started helping, I noticed areas for improvement. Also, with the birth of my child, I felt reluctant to be away from them for four weeks while on the ship, so I decided to take over the company.”

Since joining the company, Yusuke has undertaken various improvements to stabilize sales.

“My father didn't seem to do much cost calculation, and he outsourced work that couldn't be done in-house. So, we tried to do as much work as possible ourselves, minimizing outsourcing.”

And when consulted about difficult jobs, we didn't refuse but instead devised our own solutions to meet expectations.

As a result, customers increasingly approached us asking, 'Can you do this kind of processing?'

Furthermore, we changed our approach to quotations. If a quotation was deemed too high, we accepted that it was not a job Nagashima Kogyosho Co., Ltd. could handle, and instead focused on trading high-value-added work that we excel at, at appropriate prices.

Additionally, Yusuke, who enjoys motorcycles, also made motorcycle parts as a hobby. In this process, he studied programming and challenged himself with difficult machining.

“Not only did I improve my knowledge and skills, but I also made sure that what I created could be shown as a sample, demonstrating, 'We can do such difficult processing.'”

Nagashima Kogyosho Co., Ltd.'s strength, developed through various improvements, is its ability to respond immediately to small-lot production requests.

“For example, we can accommodate requests even if a customer urgently needs a single product by the end of the day.”

The ability to respond immediately comes from keeping machine operating hours low, ensuring that machines are available even for urgent requests.

One environmental reason for keeping machine operating hours low is that the factory is located in a residential area, requiring consideration for neighbors.

Furthermore, there is an aspect where they intentionally refrain from high-volume, low-margin mass production projects.

If machines are constantly running to produce large quantities of products, it's not possible to stop them to produce small-lot orders. Therefore, even high-unit-price orders might have to be declined.

By specializing in small-lot production rather than mass production, Nagashima Kogyosho Co., Ltd. can accept high-unit-price jobs.

“There was a time when we did mass production. It was certainly profitable, but it meant being constantly tied to the machines, unable to do anything else. This led to both mental and physical exhaustion. For mass production, we simply cannot compete with factories in rural areas that operate 24 hours a day.”

Thus, Nagashima Kogyosho Co., Ltd. became the preferred choice for customers by flexibly handling high-mix, small-lot, and short lead time production.

Yusuke believes that for the future of Nagashima Kogyosho Co., Ltd., 'maintaining the current state is good.' However, this does not mean stagnation.

They are also continuing new challenges by introducing 3D scanners and 3D printers.

“I thought I could create something by scanning motorcycle parts with a 3D scanner and importing them into CAD, but it's very difficult. I want to master these new tools and create something.”

By showcasing these challenges and technological advancements, they aim to connect with new business opportunities.

The driving force behind Yusuke's challenges is 'interest.'

“For example, when I create something a bit difficult, I'm doing what I love, and customers are happy, and I get paid. So, I want to take on interesting challenges, and even if they are difficult, they are enjoyable.”

Perhaps this feeling of 'interest' is the origin of manufacturing. However, in today's manufacturing world, he feels that many people cannot enjoy manufacturing solely from a management perspective.

“Management is important, but I think it's a shame if one cannot find manufacturing interesting.”

The feeling of finding something interesting becomes a driving force for people.

And perhaps this will also connect to children who grow up watching their parents enjoy manufacturing.