Sato Shuya (佐藤修哉), the third-generation head of 佐藤製作所, spent 12 years reforming the company, which had been posting losses. He made silver brazing its banner and significantly changed the organization by strengthening recruitment and sales.
佐藤製作所 had been loss-making for many years when Sato Shuya (佐藤修哉) joined the company as part of taking over the business founded by the company's predecessor. At the age of 28, he decided to take over the family business and resolved to pursue reform despite concerns from those around him. The company's aging workforce and deteriorating performance continued to weigh on it, and a strong sense of responsibility as the successor became a major motivation. At first, he knew very little about the company's finances or business, but after joining he gained the opportunity to learn how to manage it.
Over the 12-year reform process, the author decided to make silver brazing the company's banner and redefine the core of the business based on customer feedback. While incorporating outside perspectives, the company developed a sales structure combining online customer acquisition with in-person sales visits, and focused on recruitment to build the foundation of the organization.
As a pillar of organizational reform, the company introduced a system under which craftspeople accompanied sales staff on visits to customers. Although employees initially resisted and were distrustful, the company advanced new-graduate recruitment with an emphasis on initiative and a sense of responsibility, while also expanding the hiring of women. By bringing in people with new values, the company developed its silver-brazing expertise and quality control to the point of receiving external recognition, and the internal atmosphere gradually improved.