Social Issues and Future Growth Strategies
Being recognized as social issues facing Japan, the deterioration of infrastructure and houses and the shortage of human resources are advancing rapidly.
Social infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and ports and harbors, many of which were hurriedly constructed during the rapid economic growth period, are deteriorating simultaneously in wide swathes. On the other hand, a housing survey in 2013 revealed that nearly half of the housing stock in this country was thirty years or older. It is thus imperative to replace or renovate buildings both in the public and private sectors.
Furthermore, in a country known for its frequency of natural disasters, there is always the need to urgently recover and reconstruct social infrastructure in the wake of wind and flood damage and earthquakes.
While these factors are expected to expand the construction demand, the number of workers in the construction industry is decreasing each passing year, and the workforce in the industry is aging rapidly. Added to this is the growing call for “work style reform.” This involves measures such as obliging construction workers to take days off and curbing prolonged work, and thus greater work efficiency and labor saving are required.
Our “wedge binding-type scaffolding” and “next-generation scaffolding” are extremely easy to assemble and each component is made light. Collectively referred to as “system scaffolding,” these innovative scaffolds achieve greater work efficiency than conventional frame scaffolding and reduce work burdens, making them indispensable for solving the issues facing today’s construction industry. As the leading supplier of system scaffolding, we will remain committed to supporting the sustainable growth of the construction industry and society in general.
Strategies for Overseas Business
In our target markets of China and Southeast Asian countries, people are increasingly conscious of safety at construction sites as their economies develop. While strong construction demand exists in those countries, there are areas in which the main suppliers of scaffolding equipment are small businesses.
Under these circumstances, the Shinwa Group has begun manufacturing system scaffolding of the “Shinwa quality” under the guidance of our Quality Control Department at a subcontract factory in Vietnam.
We have begun marketing our products at a local sales office in the Philippines, and our “Shinwa Catcher” wedge binding-type scaffolding for mid-rise structures is being used at an increasing number of construction sites.
In China, we established a joint company with Alconix Corporation and Guangdong Chuangfu Metal Product Co., Ltd. to aim to make inroads into the Chinese market by improving safety and construction work efficiency and creating new value that contributes to environmental friendliness in the construction market there.
Going forward, we will continue to focus on customer acquisition in China and Southeast Asian countries in which business opportunities are increasing as we develop the system scaffolding market there.