When the American Rental Association (ARA) celebrated its 50th anniversary at The Rental Show in Orlando, Fla., in 2006, Susumu Sugahara, CEO of Sugahara-Denki Co. and vice-chairman of the Osaka Kensetsu Kikai Lease Association (OKKLA) in Osaka, Japan, was there. At that time, he thought it would be a good idea to invite the ARA to participate in OKKLA’s 50th anniversary celebration, which was planned for late 2007.
With OKKLA’s approval, he extended the invitation in early 2007 and ARA accepted. Ken Hughes, ARA’s vice president for communications and publisher of Rental Management, led the ARA delegation and, as an honored guest, offered a well-received congratulatory speech during the party on Oct. 26, 2007. Roger Euliss, president of Carson, Calif.-based Multiquip and an ARA associate member director, represented ARA’s board and participated in the ceremonial breaking of the sake barrel, which was then used to toast OKKLA. Wayne Walley, RM’s editor, also joined the delegation, taking pictures and conducting interviews.
While the purpose of the trip was to represent ARA and strengthen the association’s ties with OKKLA and Japan’s rental industry, the visit also was an opportunity for Rental Management to meet with several of Japan’s rental industry leaders and develop the stories you will find in this special supplement, Rental Management Japan.
Thanks to Euliss and Multiquip’s connections as a dealer for Mikasa, RM worked with Mitsuo Kase, Mikasa’s assistant general manager for the overseas division, who helped arrange meetings for RM with Mitsuo Konuma, the president and founder of Aktio Corp., the largest rental company in Japan; Yoshikazu Nakanishi, the new president and CEO, and Masayoshi Seki, managing director for corporate planning for Nikken Corp., Japan’s second-largest rental company; and Hironari Kyoya, the president of Mikasa. In Tokyo, we also met with Naotake Numata, associate director and general manager for the sales and marketing division of Kobelco Construction Machinery Co., and Daijior Muto, Kobelco’s senior manager for business system research.
In Osaka, the gracious OKKLA hosts arranged a meeting with Masashi Nishio, the second-generation president, and Yoshiaki Nishimura, overseas affairs division manager, for Nishio Rent All Co., the third-largest rental company in Japan. RM visited one of Nishio’s Osaka locations specializing in aerial equipment and toured Tsurumi Manufacturing Co.’s facility in Kyoto. RM also visited one of the warehouses for Nissho Kikai Co. in Osaka, a company that rents a variety of tools and equipment mostly to rental companies.
Just how these Japanese rental companies and manufacturers are surviving and thriving in a mature marketplace can be a lesson for those facing similar situations of increased competition, price pressure and changing customer demands, which is why we’ve put together this special supplement.
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