Corporate
Profile

[Company strength]
We have delivered our products to experimental farms, universities, and large farms in Japan. Our advantage is that we are able to collect information and solve problems in cooperation with these customers. Due to the growing demand for agricultural production with reduced or zero pesticides, the number of farmers who do not use any chemicals even at the soil preparation stage is increasing year after year. Growers who want to export their products to Europe and the US are increasing in number as well. Thus, the expanding need for heat treatment rather than chemicals is favorable for our business.



[Business description]
Since 1964 when we developed Japan’s first soil steam sterilizer, we have been accumulating and upgrading our heat treatment technologies and equipment for various agricultural fields. At present, our sterilizers are widely used by JAs (Japan Agricultural Cooperatives), horticultural producers, agricultural experiment centers, universities, nursery companies’ development farms, and agricultural chemical manufacturers in Japan and other countries. We supply our products to JAs, agricultural machinery manufacturers, agricultural material manufacturers, and nursery farms.



[Industry]
Agricultural machine manufacturing

[Strength of products/technologies]
Our products provide the ultimate solution for agricultural issues that chemicals and other means cannot solve. In addition, they can provide large-scale growers that focus on “aggressive agriculture” with the opportunity to reduce costs and supply safe crops. In recent years, we have received offers of joint research projects with agricultural research organizations, experimental farms, and leading companies in the field of steam weeding. We believe that our company is the top runner in this niche market. The repeat rate of our long-standing customers is 90% or more.



[Representative's message]
We will continue to focus on the development of products that meet the increasing demand for labor-saving steam sterilization technology by large-scale soil companies, for material sterilization systems by plant factories, and for steam weeding in organic agriculture, railroads, and expressways. Most of the offers from abroad come from national experimental farms. The only market for which we know the actual demand is Taiwan. We plan to expand our sales to organic vegetable growers in Taiwan. Although we are in a niche market, we make every effort to meet our customers’ needs in a secure and reliable manner.



[Company structure for market development/overseas expansion]
Since our customers are located throughout Japan, our sales representatives are available to go anywhere at any time. They also accompany our customers’ staff if necessary for sales. We have simplified the process of replacement and other maintenance services for parts and components so that it can be done by the end users. In addition, we have technical service staff members who will visit the customers’ sites upon request. Our English-speaking staff members are the first contact point for communicating with overseas customers (especially from countries in Southeast Asia and East Asia) by telephone and/or email. We dispatch sales personnel to their location if required.

[Awards and media coverage]
[Awards]

[Media]
Reported by Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Shizuoka Edition) in the article “Habataku jitsuryoku-ha” (March 14, 2014)
Reported by Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Shizuoka Edition) in the article “Ko-on suijoki de joso daiko” (March 19, 2016)
Reported by the Japan Agricultural News in the article “Nan-bojo zasso: Cho ko-on joki de kujo” (April 15, 2016)


[Joint research and development]
Innovative Technology Emergency Development Project (supplemented in 2014) and “Development and Experimental Verification of a Self-Propelled Steaming Remover to Remove Weed Seeds and Scattered Seeds” (2014–2015) jointly with the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (Steaming Remover Consortium)
Commissioned Project of Practical Technology Development to Promote the 2011 New Policy for Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries “Practical Implementation of Technology to Avoid and Recover the Yield Reduction of Soybean Continuously Cropped on Converted Fields” (2011) jointly with the Kyoto Prefecture Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Technology Center



[Intellectual property]
Registered patents: 3 including “Steam Sterilization Device for Soil” (Patent No. 5085447)
Patents pending and laid open to the public: 1



[Main Clients / Business History (domestic)]
Maruyama Mfg. Co., Inc. (We supply all their soil steamer models.)Sakata Seed Corporation (We supply some of their soil steamer models. We also deliver soil steamers to their experimental farm.)Kaneko Seeds Co., Ltd. (We supply some of their soil steamer models. We also deliver soil steamers to their experimental farm.)JA Fertilizer Research Center (Soil steamers; since 2003)Cainz Corporation (Steamed kenaf chips for pets; since 2015)West Nippon Expressway Maintenance Kyushu Co., Ltd. (Steam weeding machines; since 2014)

[Main Clients / Business History (overseas)]
Hwanan Engineering Co., Ltd. of Taiwan (Soil steamers; since 2015)