At that time, Shibata Seisakusho Co., Ltd.'s greatest strength was 'speed'.

Driven by the times, requests for work to Shibata Seisakusho Co., Ltd., which had expanded its scope, were endless.

Therefore, to achieve speed, they devised ways to process without stopping the machines.

“While the machine is processing, there's nothing for a human to do. If you place another machine opposite, you just turn around, so one person can oversee at least two machines... that's how we changed the layout.”

Shibata Seisakusho Co., Ltd.'s work primarily involves small-lot production of small parts, and individual processing times are short, making automation difficult.

However, they devised ways for one employee to oversee multiple machines, enabling veterans to operate three or four machines simultaneously. And this method continues to this day.

“With new employees, both machines might stop even if they are assigned two. But once they get used to it, they can change out one while the other is running.”

There is another characteristic to the way Shibata Seisakusho Co., Ltd. operates.
That is a culture where employees are given a certain degree of discretion and can freely propose improvements.

Hiroshi himself says that what he finds enjoyable in his work is creating something that doesn't go as planned through trial and error.

And once he can do it well, he finds it enjoyable to think about what improvements can make it faster or reduce costs further.

All employees are able to experience this enjoyment that Hiroshi feels. For example, if they believe that changing the cutting tool will improve efficiency, they can consult with a tool trading company, calculate time savings and costs, and propose it themselves.

“Just pressing buttons isn't fun, is it? And by thinking and devising things yourself, your technical skills improve. Those technical skills are an asset for each and every employee, so I believe everyone possesses enough skill that they wouldn't be ashamed even if they were to work at another factory.”

Each employee independently thinks of better methods.
If they get stuck, they consult with colleagues, and if nothing can be done, they consult with the president – that's the established flow.

“But I don't provide the answers. The employees who do the processing on a daily basis understand it better. I just listen to their stories and create opportunities for them to find where the problem was.”

The method of giving discretion to all employees is something Hiroshi started to implement.

When the previous generation was in charge, a few employees who could program were at the core, while other employees played supportive roles.

Hiroshi chose to change the previous generation's methods because he knew he would become the third-generation president.

“I didn't know what my father and uncle were managing. When I eventually leave the shop floor, it would be impossible for me to manage it alone.”

So, he began to transfer operational know-how to the employees who were in supportive roles.

By the time Hiroshi became the third-generation president in 2022, a system was in place where all employees could work while thinking with their own discretion.

From a young age, Hiroshi closely observed his father working from before sunrise until late at night.
During his junior high and high school years, he had experience helping out with factory work as a part-time job.
Because of this, he felt that metalworking was a natural part of his life.

“I'm the youngest of three siblings, but I was allowed to go to university and even do a homestay abroad. So I'm truly grateful to my father. My father said I didn't have to take over, but I decided to do this work.”

After graduating from university, he worked in automotive parts design for about two years, then went to train at a factory specializing in prototyping for drawing processes to learn processing techniques.

There, he gained experience in press drawing, laser processing, wire cutting, machining, and even die/mold design.

Hiroshi's experience during his training period has also become a strength of the current Shibata Seisakusho Co., Ltd. Knowing various processing methods allows them to consider processing approaches from multiple angles.

They can provide advice even for processes they cannot perform in-house, and propose a path to achieve the objective.

Furthermore, by granting discretion, the skills of each employee have improved.

“Currently, we provide quotations for even highly difficult jobs without saying 'we can't do it,' so we're receiving more requests for challenging processing than before.”

They provide quotations even for unfamiliar processes, and if a request comes in, they complete it through trial and error.
That leads to further technological improvement.

“For things we haven't done before, the final cost might exceed the quoted amount. But that's an investment. By incorporating feedback and applying it to future projects, we become capable of even more diverse processing.”

Hiroshi envisions Shibata Seisakusho Co., Ltd. in the future as a company where employees can prosper in terms of both time and money.

This is a desire Hiroshi developed after actually observing people working in Europe during his homestay. In Europe, people finish work on time and go straight home to enjoy time with their families.

“A factory doesn't make money unless the machines are running. So, you definitely have to come to work, but it's impossible to concentrate for 10 or 12 hours, isn't it? That's why I believe it's important how much productivity can be increased in a short amount of time.”

He also stated that he wants as many people as possible to understand the value of manufacturing.

The general public, even when seeing a finished product, cannot understand how much ingenuity, technology, and effort went into it. He wants more people to know the value of the unseen parts that go into creating that product.

As one step, he is also considering creating products under their own brand.

“If we can become a manufacturer by leveraging our processing technology, I think we can do even more enjoyable work.”

Shibata Seisakusho Co., Ltd. will likely continue to take on new challenges, working together with its employees to realize its ideals.