I believe that the UT Group’s raison d’etre is to “create vigorous workplaces” for many people. For 17 years since Nihon Aim, a predecessor of UT Holdings, was founded, we have insisted on “creating vigorous workplaces” with our operations, centered in dispatching and outsourcing service business for manufacturers and have managed the company by challenging common sense and the status quo.

It is said that about a half million people work in Japan’s manufacturing industries through dispatching and outsourcing. The Great East Japan Earthquake of March 2011 revealed how significantly the Japanese manufacturing industry could affect the global supply chain. And I believe strongly that those Japanese manufacturers’ front lines are supported by our industry, specializing in dispatching and outsourcing for manufacturers.

The UT Group has an ambition to change this industry, by “creating many vigorous workplaces.”

The UT Group has been pursuing a way of getting work done by receiving a batch outsourcing order and providing outsourcing service as a team, which is different from dispatching individual workers. Dispatching is a way of meeting work requirements that focuses primarily on satisfying requirements for an individual’s knowledge and skills, while subcontracting or outsourcing services is a way of working that starts out with a team to conduct operation and focuses on optimizing teamwork. This way of working cultivates a special kind of “culture of work” wherein each person can more easily learn from each of the others in a team and together all form a base for vigorous work. This is an area where the UT Group is strong.

With an aim to support the “outsourcing” way of working, we have been working on “creating an environment for all employees to work with ease and security.”

The following three measures are the UT Group’s added value as well as its social responsibilities.

1) “Safety and job security” – We have been hiring regular employees since our foundation and have created good employment opportunities.

2) “Growth and career opportunities” – We offer not only internal but also external career paths to our employees and try to expand their individual growth opportunities.

3) “Benefit of corporate value to employees and profit allocation” – We were the first in the industry to introduce the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) and other programs so that our employees can directly perceive and share in the growth of the company.

The UT Group has acquired the No.1 share in outsourcing services to the semiconductor sector, earning high evaluation of its track record and its high employee retention rate. We aim that our accumulated know-how shall be used not only in the semiconductor sector but also in other areas so as to create numerous vigorous workplaces. A specific roadmap to this goal has been incorporated in our new medium-term business plan and we are on the way to realize our vision to become “Japan's No.1 outsourcing provider in quality and volume.”

We plan to increase the number of client plants from 100 in 2010 to 300 by 2016. At the same time, we will promote creating stable workplaces with more growth opportunities for our employees and have the target of an increase in the number of UT Group workers per plant from the present 50 to 70.

Our plan thus is to increase the overall workforce from 5,000 in 2010 to 20,000 in 2016. Our aim is to become “Japan’s No.1 outsourcing provider” and to provide good employment and a range of internal and external growth opportunities to our workers as the basis of the company.

* No. 1 in manufacturing outsourcing to the semiconductor-related industries is in terms of the number of outsourced and dispatched workers (based on internal estimates from disclosed data of various companies.)

The UT Group aims to be a place where many people get together, teach and learn from each other, and grow. In a sense, it can be called a school-like community. I believe that when people get together and grow, the aggregate power of those individuals could result in growth of a company

I would like to continue our road ahead with many associates, by keeping our philosophy of “the power to work creates lively workplaces.”