Hakudo brings non-ferrous lustre to Asian markets

Looking beyond Japan to bring its years of expertise in the non-ferrous metals and materials industry to the rest of Asia, Hakudo is reinforcing its commitment to customer satisfaction by investing in human resources and information technology.

"Our people are our main asset," says president Koji Tsunoda, who considers their free-thinking and flexible approach as the source of Hakudo's originality. "We also invest a lot in computer systems because we handle around 4,000 stock items and 13,000 customers."

The leading provider of aluminium, steel, copper, plastics and proprietary products in Japan for more than 80 years, Hakudo has built a reputation for meeting customers' needs quickly, efficiently and with minimum wastage. It is making strides in the aerospace industry, apart from serving automotive, consumer electronics and other sectors.

Hakudo ensures seamless delivery of orders by working closely with its subsidiary in Shanghai and local distributors in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam.

"We don't just provide our partners with the materials, we also help support their activities," Tsunoda says. This support includes developing their computer systems to handle the enormous volume of orders.

Focused on further expanding into Asia, Hakudo is negotiating with potential agents in Taiwan and South Korea to supply the markets with eco-friendly and high-precision materials. These products include its high-precision YH52 cutting plate, a grade of aluminium plate with various thickness tolerances that is considered the highest-quality plate in the world. YH52 is mainly used for components and base plates of precision machines, manufacturing equipment for semiconductors, parts for food production facilities and clamp devices.