Operating within the highly fragmented and competitive printed circuit board (PCB) industry, Japanese home-grown company Kyoden has gained traction in the marketplace by moving away from broad-based, generic offerings towards more innovative, specialised solutions. With more than 30 years' experience in PCB prototyping and production, the company has built a sustainable track record anchored on higher standards of quality, rapid-turnaround manufacturing, and fulfilment of small-volume production runs. "Rapid-turnaround manufacture and small-batch production have become our core competencies," says president Kaneki Yamaguchi. "We are an established name in this niche in Japan. We seek to achieve the same in Asia, particularly in China." Recognising that China and Asia are central to the continued growth of the PCB industry, Kyoden is drawing on the strengths of group member companies and key business affiliates on the mainland, Hong Kong and South Korea to bring its rapid manufacturing expertise to the region. Through Kyoden (Thailand), Kyoden is directly catering to the flourishing car electronics segment, which is becoming a significant source of revenue for PCBs. "We are keen on forming more strategic partnerships in Asia to be able to offer a seamless PCB service," Yamaguchi says. In addition to meeting clients' needs for state-of-the-art PCB production, Kyoden is becoming a prominent third-party provider of product research and development to leading Japanese manufacturers operating in China. This is a natural extension of Kyoden's services, as many of its clients have to introduce new products within a relatively short period to cope with rapidly changing technology and customer requirements. Kyoden has also ventured into the supply of industrial materials such as glass fibres, mixture materials and refractory products, already earning the trust of a number of electronic majors. "We are a total solution partner to our clients," Yamaguchi says. "We can customise an optimal, beginning-to-end service, allowing our customers to reduce their cost structure and time-to-market." Kyoden www.kyoden.co.jp