APL Logistics

The 50 Years of Kintetsu World Express We had used this slogan during the 1980s. On this occasion of the 50th anniversary, we would like to give more than a passing thought to this again. With the spirit of “Ever Forward,” we are eager to keep on confronting difficulties, moving forward by leaps and bounds for the years to come. 001_hontobira_CC2018.indd 1 2020/03/09 11:27 Interview with President Nobutoshi Torii Returning to the Roots and Aspiring to Grow Further toward the Next 50 Years ©2020 Kintetsu World Express, Inc. --- What feelings do you have as Kintetsu World the “lost two decades,” it has expanded in general, and Published by Express (KWE) celebrates its 50th anniversary? Japanese companies including us continued to grow. Kintetsu World Express, Inc. It is quite fortunate to be able to celebrate the anniversary However, it is my honest feeling that the responsibility 24th Fl., Shinagawa Intercity Tower A, while I am in the position of President. I would like to and pressure to make KWE even more developed is 2-15-1 Konan, Minato-ku, express my gratitude to all the employees and our pre- stronger, when the same kind of economic growth can no Tokyo, 108-6024 Japan decessors for their hard work during these 50 years. KWE longer be expected. Tel: +81-3-6863-6440 was able to achieve constant and smooth growth, while there were diffi cult times, thanks to their efforts. --- What was the impression of KWE when you ﬁ rst Edited and Produced by Having said that, I am feeling more strongly that I need joined the company? Shuppan Bunka Sha Corporation to further develop the company which has been steadily The year 1982, when I joined the company, just marked Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya growing until now. When we compare the past 50 years the period of recovery from the oil crises in Japan, but with the next, the environment surrounding us is vastly finding a job was still very difficult for students. Back First Edition February 2020 different. Although the Japanese economy experienced then, neither KWE nor the air freight industry itself was Interview with President Nobutoshi Torii 3 002-005_president interview_CC2018.indd 2 2020/03/09 14:06 002-005_president interview_CC2018.indd 3 2020/03/09 14:06 well known. I was studying transportation law-related example, having our own facility has the possibility that digital forwarding services of IT corporations have subjects in college and learned about the air freight indus- there will no longer be any opportunity for selling it in the attracted much attention, and as the trend of E-commerce try. As I looked into such businesses, I found this company future, because our customers are battling for survival becomes bigger, various cross-industry companies will and applied to it. The export of Japanese companies was and accelerating the speed of overseas investment such join the forwarding business. However, KWE is specialized getting active, and the time had arrived when various as the construction and transfer of production bases. In in the B to B business and offers different kinds of ser- products were shipped in air freights and the prospect of such an environment, we ought to return to the roots and vices. The added value of our service will be how we can the business was described as the “rosy air freight” and we focus on the freight forwarding. respond to unforeseen events. Therefore, it will be more expected the industry to expand. I chose KWE because I Furthermore, the company does not belong to any large essential than anything to ensure to nurture and secure the was attracted by the opportunity to go overseas. corporate group in international logistics and will have to human resources who will be responsible for these opera- compete independently in the world as we deploy our tions. --- What do you consider as the “KWE style”? business. The important thing is “selection and concen- For the future, we will think of the reform of working It might be “fairness.” Even the first- or second-year tration” and that is why I have formulated the basic pol- practices in Japan while clarifying the career path and employees will be given the same responsibility and must icy of “Return to Roots” as a forwarder. trying to retain employees and at the same time maxi- perform their jobs like those who have been with the I repeatedly state “Return to Roots,” so that our mizing the potential of individuals and promoting to build company for five to ten years. Favorably speaking, it is employees will recognize what the KWE’s strength is. We an organization which can bring out its comprehensive the delegation of authority, but in other words, it may be have now raised the consciousness to develop the core strength. On the other hand, we will study the global “leaving all the decision making” to employees. In such a forwarding business, which is the origin of KWE. personnel system which European and American com- corporate culture, everybody has a sense of ownership and petitors introduced as reference and try to develop a system there is a strong atmosphere where everyone can poten- --- You have announced the Long-Term Vision and of our own. tially play a leading role, which serves as the driving force Medium-Term Management Plan (FY2019–2021) in to build who we are today. May 2019. Could you tell us your thoughts about --- What kind of path do you think KWE should take Another factor is that the company is very “tolerative” formulating them? in the future? about what the employees undertake constructively. When KWE acquired APL Logistics, it shifted toward the The perspective on the KWE Group’s future is to become This may be related to the “KWE style,” but I would like Various types of work which the company assigned me direction of becoming a global corporation in name and one of the Top 10 corporations in terms of air and sea them to have the sense of ownership. We are a company of gave me good experiences, but occasionally I made substance. In the Long-Term Vision, KWE aspires to be freight volumes and net sales in the global market in ten a select few to begin with, and while we have always been mistakes. Of course, I was scolded, but there was a culture among the Global Top 10 corporations and laid out the years or so. We should also aim to establish “A Global a few, our predecessors have strived to raise this company. to accept even the failures in a generous manner, and it targets of the net sales of 1 trillion yen, air freight volume Brand Born in Japan.” KWE is based in Japan, so we As the present organization has already been estab- may still be so. of over 1 million tons, and sea freight volume of over 1 provide flexible and meticulous services responding lished to a certain degree, it is getting difficult to go ahead million TEUs. to the needs of our customers, which Japanese compa- with one’s work with one’s judgment and discretion alone, --- Could you tell us what you think about “Return In order to increase the volume globally, we cannot nies are good at. The “Born in Japan” part in our Long- and it is not easy to have the sense of ownership as we to Roots” as a forwarder, which you laid out when you rely on the Japanese market alone, but need to compete in Term Vision has that connotation. We would like to used to. Therefore, I feel that not only on-the-job training, assumed the presidency? Also, how much has it been the global market more than ever. The actual results of strengthen our branding power also for overseas customers but also some effort to inherit the DNA of KWE are achieved currently? FY2018 were net sales of 592 billion yen, air freight vol- by imprinting impressions of the high-quality service necessary. The spirit we have been inheriting is the most “Return to Roots” means we should go back to the freight ume of 0.6 million tons, and sea freight volume of 0.7 of KWE. I am convinced that we can achieve the goals important part, without which we would end up being a forwarding business. Rather than owning our assets million TEUs, so I never think that the targets of the Long- stated in the Long-Term Vision through what I have just company guided by manuals, so I would like to cultivate ourselves, we use the assets of outsiders. That is the back- Term Vision are unattainable. described. such spirit. ground of the KWE business. As for the Medium-Term Management Plan, we are On the occasion of the 50th anniversary, KWE should Still, we absorbed various changes of the times, and promoting to build a structure to gain not only more --- What would you like to convey to the young and be able to become much stronger if employees have more constructed our own facilities, but we should not forget Japanese customers but also more non-Japanese customers. middle-age employees, and what would you like them sense of urgency and reform their mind-set. All of us shall that there are risks associated with owning facilities. For The key factor here is human resources. In recent years, to inherit? be united as one to cut a path to the next 50 years. 4 Interview with President Nobutoshi Torii 5 002-005_president interview_CC2018.indd 4 2020/03/09 14:06 002-005_president interview_CC2018.indd 5 2020/03/09 14:06 Contents 03 Interview with President Nobutoshi Torii 26 2.

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