BookTitleToyota Tsusho 70-Year History

Summary

Toyota Tsusho 70-Year History

value-generating corporation with powerful satellite companies.5 Start of the Takeyama RegimeIn June 1995, the management structure was reformed. President Keiji Nogamiwas appointed chairman, and managing director Eizo Takeyama became president.At that time, Japan was suffering from the bursting of its bubble economyand was exposed to a difficult business environment. Under such circumstances,Takeyama, the new president, called for a departure from general trading companyfunctions, such as traditional trading and general trading company finance, andfor the creation of new functions to move toward becoming a value-generatingcorporation. The keys to achieving these goals were stated as:“strengtheningthe business structure by improving management efficiency and managementcapabilities”and“building new businesses.”6 Formulation of the Midterm Business PlanUnder President Takeyama, a new midterm business plan was announced inJanuary 1997. Based on a three-year goal starting from that year, the mid-termplan, formulated under the title“Leap into the 21st Century,”acknowledgedchanges in the domestic and international business environment, stating that“The flow is changing in structural parts, and the maturity of the automobileindustry in Japan and overseas, the global shift of production and logistics, andthe transformation of distribution and business forms due to the advancementof information technology have seen the business form of‘Trading,’which hasbeen our core business so far, reach a major turning point.”For this reason, thethree slogans of“creation,”“speed,”and“execution”were used to change anddifferentiate the trading function while seeking to demonstrate comprehensivecapabilities in collaboration with satellite companies.The following were presented as medium-term policies:(1) Transforming the profit structure[1] Create new revenue streams? Independently create new business? Engage in new product and market development[2]Strengtheningandexpandingbusinesses? Create trade functions in response to changes in domestic and overseastrading business(2)Strengtheningnetworkfunctions? Strengthen global partnerships centered around product strategies with eachdepartment’s bases and satellite companies(3) Creating a creative and energetic environment[1] Create a workplace that utilizes free ideas[2] Use information utilization ability[3] Develop and train human resourcesThe target for fiscal 1999, the final year of the plan, was set at sales of 1.9trillion yen, gross profit of 50 billion yen, and ordinary profit of 14 billion yen.President TakeyamaToyota Tsusho satellite companiesHistory89