*Three members participated in MEDIX (Fujii, Nakai, Terasaka)

Read in detail about MORITA SEISHINSHO CO.

●Promoted 3 technical capabilities to medical industry

Morita is known as one of the leading companies to process needles and fine stainless steel pipes. They are specialized in swaging process that reduces operation flow comparing to machining and employs multi-product low-volume manufacturing at shorter production lead time. At Morita they have operated swaging for more than 90 years and achieved their technology application to ultra fine pipes (up to 0.15 mm diameter). In the medical market those fine needles and pipes are installed in a joint between a dripper and a tube or used as a protection pipe of temperature sensor.

*Compare their micropore to a ball point pen

Morita has been involved in medical business long time as a subcontractor and has not dealt with medical equipment manufacturers directly. "Some day we would participate in medical trade to promote our technology", Terasaka continued his remarks with pleasure, "We were so glad to have entered to medical fair thanks to MOBIO's assistance and have learned a lot." "I firmly believe Morita's target market is medical market. At this moment its business consists 30 percent of Morita's sales and I wish to expand it up to 50 percent by adding more direct deal with manufacturers."

*Their catch phrase in Japanese "Quality is proved by Technical Capabilities" was selected through opportunity announcement system to employees.

Since entering to medical market was corporate policy, preparation for MEDIX was arranged as a corporate project to create display samples and to write a catch phrase. Nakai was the chief of display and explained "We focused three technologies to promote in a medical trade. No.1 was our core technology - swaging. No.2 was electrical discharge machining to make a micropore at ultra fine pipe without any burr, using our new equipment. No.3 was laser beam sealing at a thin pipe end, that is used at medical needle production to prevent any damages to human body."

●Received 5 business request at the first medical fair

With 50 years marketing experience, Terasaka proactively introduced Morita's technology and resulted in setting up next business meeting with two medical equipment manufacturers and three sensor using companies. After the fair he has brought requested samples to them and is waiting for their evaluation. Terasaka said, "It meant a lot to us as a result of the first medical fair," and he is positive to participate in the next trade.

*Booth display at MEDIX

Nakai also mentioned, " We have received a lot of messages from medical persons. One dentist requested us to develop the needle with more cleaning holes." Morita has collected market needs to further develop new products.

Because of having actual request from customers, Terasaka felt confident to enter medical market. "The best result for us was to have exchanged business cards with 400 companies", Terasaka said. They have contacted with medical industry persons and industry users of temperature sensor pipes at an automobile industry and users of ion discharge needles at an electronics industry. It may assist their involvement in medical business.

●Take further action to handle hard-to-cut materials and to build a clean room

Through MEDIX, they have received a request of prototype production and found a necessity of new product. Terasaka said, "We do not have specific product development group as a SME, however we are quite confident to develop new products step by step along with daily manufacturing job. On top of present core material, stainless steel, they plan to accumulate processing technology of Titanium and other hard-to-process materials. Moreover they are planning to invest actively to build a clean room in a few years to change basic business conditions to enter medical market.

At Morita, young staffs have learned a lot through MEDIX. Fujii confessed, "I have noticed importance of aggressive marketing approach shown by Terasaka and learned a lot from him. Also I will study much more about our products and our in house technology in order to explain others."

Morita was established to manufacture sewing needles in 1914 and succeeded in restructuring corporate business scheme. Now their challenge to enter medical market will be a key to another business success in future.

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Interviewed on August 6, 2014