Key to Growth: Focus & BrandingFocusing boosted sales and quality.Branding strategy for new graduate recruitment.
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Namix Co., Ltd.
- Design, manufacturing, and sales of industrial machinery such as filling machines, cappers, and cartoners for the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries.
Taketoshi Nagai
- Prefecture
- Kanagawa
- Business Activities
- Design, manufacturing, and sales of industrial machinery such as filling machines, cappers, and cartoners for the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries.
- Company Name
- Namix Co., Ltd.
- Representative Name
- Taketoshi Nagai
- Location
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〒227-0065
1117-1 Onda-cho, Aoba-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa, Japan
- Phone Number
- 045-988-4390
- Website
Factory Stories
A Company Supporting manufacturing Through Its People
Namix Co., Ltd. designs, manufactures, and sells industrial machinery for cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. The father of the current president, Tsuyoshi Nagai, founded the company in 1987.
“My father felt like a cog in a large machinery manufacturer when he was designing there. He said that when he had the opportunity to visit a small-to-medium-sized machinery manufacturer, the work there seemed very enjoyable.”
At that time, the president who was assisting him showed him a future of 'starting his own company,' which piqued his interest in independence.
Afterward, he became independent and established Namix Co., Ltd., initially starting with outsourced design work, with one drafting machine in a four-and-a-half-tatami-mat room.
From there, his work gained recognition, and he expanded the scope of business to include manufacturing.
“My father was capable of both mechanical and electrical design. He was an excellent designer and a man of ideas.”
Strengthening the Company by Focusing on Specific Products
The former president, an excellent designer, held the belief that he would never refuse any job. And he built trust by continuously responding to all kinds of orders from customers.
However, he has now changed that policy, focusing on 'filling machines,' 'cappers,' and 'cartoners' as main products, and reducing the volume of full-custom product orders.
“Back then, the working style was so harsh it's unimaginable today; new employees would join and then quit. I felt it would be difficult to continue with such a high-risk, low-profit structure.”
The stance of never refusing any job made the company a last resort for customers. However, machines that other companies had repeatedly refused were often highly difficult and had short lead times. Moreover, sometimes the prices were low.
Therefore, during his time as senior managing director, Nagai proposed to the former president to focus on products where they had strengths, but the proposal was rejected. As a result, Nagai, who was also in charge of sales, decided to focus on selling the same products rather than taking on new orders.
“The first product we focused on selling was cappers. This was because they were technically versatile and small enough to fit in a Hiace van, allowing us to take them to customers' sites for actual trials.”
By intentionally narrowing down the products for sale in this way, the company gradually shifted to its current stance.
“By manufacturing the same products, manufacturing efficiency increases, and product quality also improves, which pleases our customers. Furthermore, profit margins also increased. Seeing these results, the former president also approved.”
The Strength of Namix Co., Ltd. Products: Ease of Use
By focusing on specific products, Namix Co., Ltd.'s major strength, which has led to improved quality, is its ease of use.
Namix Co., Ltd. products are used in manufacturing sites for cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, where it is common to produce bottles and caps of different shapes using the same equipment.
In such environments, switching equipment settings is essential depending on the size and shape of the bottles and caps. Since the changeover time is included in the production time at manufacturing sites, the ability to switch quickly and easily is a significant advantage for customers.
“When customers who visit for a tour see the changeover process, they are surprised, asking, 'Can anyone do the changeover, even without being a skilled craftsman?'”
To pursue ease of use, we focus on methods that reduce effort and facilitate changeovers from the initial design stage.
“We tell our designers to go to the actual sites and listen to the raw voices of our customers. Also, if we notice any difficulties during the assembly stage, we make arrangements to improve usability.”
Machines Welcomed with Joy by On-Site Operators
Namix Co., Ltd. has a unique approach even before delivery: inviting customers to visit and perform a final check.
This is a method to check if the machine meets the specifications, while also responding to customer requests as much as possible.
The scope of response is wider when the machine is still at Namix Co., Ltd. than after delivery. Therefore, for repeat orders, we also encourage customers to visit as much as possible.
Recently, not only the buyer but also operators who run the machines on-site sometimes accompany them for checks. This allows us to incorporate feedback from the field into the machines.
“Actually, when a new machine is introduced, there can be complaints like, 'Do we have to learn something new again?' But, when a machine they have checked themselves arrives, everyone welcomes it with joy. I believe this is also effective for on-site management.”
Strengthening Branding for New Graduate Recruitment
Namix Co., Ltd. has been undertaking new challenges in recent years.
This includes recruiting new university graduates.
“We had only hired mid-career professionals for a long time. However, with the declining workforce and fewer engineers, every company wants to retain their excellent engineers. So, I thought it would become increasingly difficult to hire mid-career professionals.”
We realized that for the future growth of the company, it was necessary to have the ability to recruit and train new graduates. This initiative has steadily yielded results, with two new graduates hired for two consecutive years.
“With the new graduates joining, I feel that the company culture has changed. It has also been a good stimulus for existing employees.”
To achieve such successful new graduate recruitment, we have undertaken thorough branding efforts.
We renovated the office interior with a sophisticated design utilizing our corporate colors of green, light green, and yellow, and unified uniforms and safety shoes.
Furthermore, employee ID cards were designed to match the uniforms, and a credo was incorporated to unify employee awareness.
“To make people want to work for our company, we need to catch their eye. However, I believe we must not just stand out, but also convey what kind of future we are aiming for.”
Through such branding, we are not only refreshing the image of the manufacturing industry for new graduates but also enhancing employee loyalty and motivation.
Spreading FUN and FAN in manufacturing
Namix Co., Ltd. has adopted the vision of 'Increasing FUN and FAN in Japanese manufacturing!' This vision is not just about 'increasing Namix Co., Ltd.'s FUN (enjoyment) and FAN (liking),' but also focuses on 'Japanese manufacturing.'
“I believe there isn't a significant difference in technology and quality among Japanese manufacturing companies. Therefore, it's necessary to communicate that working in manufacturing can be enjoyable and to make people like it.”
Why does Namix Co., Ltd. focus not only on itself but also on the entire Japanese manufacturing industry?
One reason is Nagai's bitter experience from when he first joined Namix Co., Ltd..
“I was what you'd call a 'workaholic.' Staying until midnight was normal. I worked desperately, sacrificing sleep to meet deadlines. But I thought, 'This kind of work style won't last long.'”
Working through hardship is sometimes told as a heroic tale.
However, Nagai believes that unless there is an environment where people in manufacturing can work happily, the industry will not be chosen by young people.
“If FUN (enjoyment) and FAN (liking) increase in manufacturing, talented individuals will be drawn to the industry. When talented individuals gather, a more comfortable working environment will be established.
If people can work happily in a comfortable environment, even more people will want to enter the manufacturing industry, right?”
He aims to create such a positive spiral.
Namix Co., Ltd. employees embody FUN (enjoyment) and disseminate it, aiming to increase Namix Co., Ltd.'s FAN (liking).
In this way, the wind generated by Namix Co., Ltd., like a fan, will become a whirlwind, spreading throughout the manufacturing industry, and expanding FUN (enjoyment) and FAN (liking).
Namix Co., Ltd.
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