Suzuki：Yes, that's right. Japanese and Chinese people have completely different national characteristics. It's not about which one is good or bad, but our values are fundamentally different. Well, we don't fully understand the cause of this malfunction, but our company speculates that it might be due to the voltage becoming unstable due to power and noise. By slightly changing the voltage, it may have caused the temperature to rise, which is affecting the malfunction. Actually, we dispatched our engineers to China for about two weeks to investigate the cause of the malfunction, but this dispatch allowed our company to develop new product development from a fresh perspective.

Ishimura：A fresh perspective, huh?

Suzuki：Yes. In Japan, it is normal for the voltage to be constant, but when we look at the world, it is a reality that not only such countries exist. If we only do business in Japan, it is natural to make products without worrying too much about the voltage, as it is constant. However, if we can make equipment that can cope even if the voltage fluctuates a little, we can prevent malfunctions and expand our sales channels to the world, including emerging countries. Our employees noticed this and their thinking about the product changed. As a result of this malfunction, our company was able to improve the quality of our products, that is, we were grateful for being tempered.

Ishimura：I see. Turning a problem into a positive outcome. You are truly a development-oriented company.

Suzuki：Also, speaking of difficulties overseas, this is a story about our Vietnam factory (Binh Duong Province). I strongly feel the difference in temperament between Japanese and Vietnamese people. Our company started the Vietnam factory in 2013 (Heisei 25) and manufactures building material parts for mass production, which are imported into Japan. Currently, there are about 20 employees, but it is difficult to manage with Vietnamese employees alone. When there are no problems, they are all sincere, so things tend to go relatively smoothly, but when a problem arises, Vietnamese employees cannot manage each other. We tried various things, such as raising positions and salaries for Vietnamese employees we expected, but it didn't work out in the end. This may be due to the inherent temperament of Vietnamese people. Therefore, for the time being, management at the local site is entrusted to Japanese companies and retired Japanese engineers. However, we also hope that Vietnamese employees will grow quickly.

Ishimura：The temperament of each country's people is completely different, depending on the country.

Suzuki：That's why I try to visit our Vietnam factories frequently and pay attention to the local employees, but the communication problems due to the completely different language are undeniable. Having overseas factories that I can't completely keep an eye on is really difficult.

Ishimura：It's a difficult task for small and medium-sized companies to manage overseas factories.

Suzuki：I want to establish a system where Vietnamese employees can take charge of the factories in Vietnam as soon as possible.

 

Future Strategy

Ishimura：Please tell us about your company's future policy.

Suzuki：As for our future strategy, we want to expand our sales channels to the United States and Europe. In particular, we have a track record of exporting medical plastic products to Europe, but we have not yet delivered the "Thermal Microscope" or "Thermo Wave Analyzer". We want to expand the sales of these products to Europe. Fortunately, there are many materials in fields where heat is a problem, such as future promising fuel cells that could become a new source of energy, where heat is generated. So, we think there are quite a few opportunities for our company to get involved.

Ishimura： So, you will attack through the approach of "development".

Suzuki：Yes. Subcontracting work has a stable output in terms of quantity, but there is not much profit in it. On the other hand, development work takes a long time from ideation to realization and it is difficult, but there is a sense of contribution to society and above all, there is a dream. Our dream is to innovate and make the world happy.

Ishimura：So you will become the "Betel" that the world seeks.

Suzuki：Yes, that's right. That's why I want our employees to acquire an international perspective from now on. We're in the "development" business, so new discoveries and new ideas from different perspectives are always required. Especially since our younger employees are from the gaming generation, we may be able to use their hobbies to explore new fields, such as the world of "e-sports". In addition, I want to give them an experience where they can use their gaming skills, for example, by sending them on a business trip to our Vietnamese factory and having them arrange everything themselves and find their way there with no restrictions on their mode of transportation or route. I also want to challenge them to think for themselves and travel overseas on their own.

Ishimura：In a way, it's like when you were thrown into an American high school, isn't it?

Suzuki：That's right (laughs). When people are thrown into an environment that is different from what they are used to and have to make all the decisions on their own, creativity and resourcefulness naturally arise. We just want to develop our employees' "thinking power". As a company, we want to develop their thinking power and turn it into the power of the company.

Ishimura：That's how it connects to your company's management philosophy of "always think" and "the essence of management is in development." I understand now where your company's energy source lies. Finally, if you have any requests or suggestions for the organization, please let us know.

Suzuki：We are planning to exhibit at a medical exhibition in Dubai using the "Ibaraki Challenge Fund" that your organization is implementing. Although Dubai is quite far away, we targeted it as our goal because it is close to Europe where our products have already been delivered. Normally, exhibiting alone in Dubai would cost a considerable amount of money, including exhibition fees and airfare. However, we were able to exhibit by receiving grant money. In addition, we have also exhibited at overseas exhibitions, including domestic exhibitions where your organization has set up an Ibaraki Prefecture booth, but we would like to send as many employees as possible to hone their senses. This is also thanks to the grant money, which is very helpful for small and medium-sized enterprises like us.

Ishimura：Your company is also utilizing our "New Technology and New Product Development Promotion Project."

Suzuki： Yes, we used it when developing tools for dental treatment. Thanks to the grant money, the production of prototypes went smoothly. Overall, we are very satisfied with your organization's projects. We look forward to your continued support for small and medium-sized enterprises from various perspectives.

Ishimura：I understand. We will continue to support small and medium-sized enterprises in the future. Thank you for today.

Betel Co.,Ltd. ●Established　 1973 ●Incorporated　1980 ●Capital 480 million yen ●CEO　 Junichi Suzuki　 ●Employees　 160 people ●Year quotient of 1.9 billion yen ●Location 　3-11 Aragane, Ishioka City, Ibaraki Prefecture ●Business contents    Precision plastic mold design, manufacturing, and sales    Development, manufacturing, and sales of medical equipment. ●URL　　https://www.bethel.co.jp/

 

 

 

 

 

Interviewer Ibaraki Small Business Global Promotion Agency, Incorporated Foundation Overseas Extension Promotion Agent ●Name　Akira Ishimura ●Major Field　Industry (Communication Infrastructure) ●Career Worked for a major general trading company for many years, engaged in trade business including overseas sales. Has experience in Venezuela, China, and Egypt assignments and establishment of joint ventures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ishimura：Betel started assembling parts and has now become a development-oriented company. They have strengthened their profitability by producing and selling their own products, as well as expanding overseas, including joint development with AIST (National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology) of thermal property measuring instruments and developing plastic parts for dental treatment on request from a medical equipment manufacturer. They also handle general manufacturing parts, ranging from mold manufacturing to plastic injection molding, with a wide range of facilities from CAD/CAM to the latest machining equipment. They are an excellent technical group that can handle any request that comes their way. ODM (Original Design Manufacturing) companies are a valuable presence in small and medium-sized enterprises, and even more so, there are not many companies that can handle the product design and mass production of medical equipment.　

　However, even with such an excellent company, expanding into overseas markets is not easy. The world is vast, and it is necessary to constantly analyze information, develop strategies, and figure out where to target, how to market, and how to provide after-sales services. In this regard, Betel effectively utilizes the "Ibaraki Challenge Fund" implemented by the organization and achieves participation in overseas exhibitions for the company alone, while continuously moving forward by undertaking the prototype development of "tools used in dental treatment" in the new technology and new product development promotion project. These activities could become the driving force behind the revival of Japan's manufacturing industry in the future. 　

　If any small and medium-sized enterprises in Ibaraki Prefecture are interested in challenging themselves in overseas markets, please contact us at the address below.