— Why KSW Continues to Be a “Quietly Strong Company”

For Japanese companies operating in the Chinese market, “when they entered” and “who committed themselves to engaging locally” greatly shape the character of the organization.

The strength of Kobelco Spring Wire (Foshan) Co., Ltd. (hereafter, KSW) does not lie in systems or slogans, but can only be fully understood by examining this very background. Drawing on employee attitude surveys conducted in 2021, 2023, and 2025, as well as an interview with President Takano, we unravel the “reproducible strength” of KSW.

1. Turning a “Late Entry” into a “First-Mover Advantage”— The Five Years That Shaped KSW

When KSW began operating its factory in 2012, it was nearly ten years behind the peak of Japanese companies entering the Chinese market. Business with the Japanese clients that had initially been the main focus did not progress as expected, and the first five years were marked by continuous hardship.

Yet this very “delay” became the source of KSW’s strength．

• No escape from the local shift： Confronted with the reality that reliance on Japanese clients would not work, KSW quickly pivoted toward cultivating Chinese local customers.
• A reversal of fortunes: In recent years, while many Japanese companies have struggled in the Chinese market, KSW had already built experience in the local arena. It established a unique position of “suffering when others were thriving and now growing while others struggle.”

This was less the product of a polished strategy than the result of refusing to run away, and persistently adapting to reality in a gritty, down-to-earth way.

2．“Five Years That Shaped the Organization’s Form”

President Takano served as Deputy General Manager for four years starting in 2021 and assumed the position of General Manager in 2025. In discussing organizational culture, President Takano’s nearly five-year tenure in China carries decisive significance. With short-term assignments, one may be able to track surface-level figures but cannot reach into the deeper layers of the organization.

• Responsibility to See Results Through： It takes time to fully observe how one’s words become distorted on the ground and how they are received. To follow those “results” to the end and make corrections requires a certain span of years.
• Awareness of Organizational Renewal: President Takano even speaks calmly about the risks of long-term assignments, saying, “By staying in the company too long, I might hinder employees from generating new ideas.” This very “perspective on healthy renewal” serves as a brake that prevents the organization from becoming rigid.

3． “Safety” Is an Absolute Norm That Allows No Compromise—Not Even for the General Manager

The most distinctive feature of KSW’s awareness survey is the deeply ingrained consciousness of “safety” shared by all employees. It is not merely a slogan, but something born out of the urgent realities of the workplace.

• Physical Risks： Within the confined space of the factory stands a heat-treatment furnace reaching temperatures close to 1,000 degrees, alongside operations handling high-strength steel materials. In an environment where a single misstep could be life-threatening, the premise that “safety comes first” has become the very backbone of the organization.
• A Symbolic Episode: On one occasion, while touring the factory, President Takano came too close to the production line—though still behind the fence—when a frontline employee sharply rebuked him, saying, “It’s dangerous, step back!”

“Regardless of the position of President, anyone can speak up with the right words for safety. That is our greatest strength.”

As President Takano himself puts it, safety has already been internalized to the point of being like “the air”—something so fundamental that it no longer even needs to be discussed.

4．“The One-Cushion” Practice That Sustains an “Atmosphere Where People Can Speak Up”

KSW has forums for dialogue from a compliance perspective, as well as meetings where employees can exchange opinions. However, more important than the mechanisms themselves were the way of responding to the opinions that emerged from the frontline.

• First, Accept It： No matter how outlandish the opinion may be, the first step is to receive it without denial.
• Show the Process： Even when a request cannot be fulfilled, respond by saying, “We considered it, but for this reason it cannot be done at present,” and provide the rationale.
• Thoroughness of Management： The steady practice of “not rejecting immediately, but holding onto it once” has, through repeated application, instilled in the organization a sense of trust—namely, the conviction that “speaking up is not in vain.”
• These efforts bore fruit, and the results of the awareness survey improved year by year. For example, the combined percentage of respondents who answered “I agree” or “I somewhat agree” to the question “Overall, I am satisfied with my current job” increased from 60.2% in 2021, to 68.8% in 2023, and to 88.8% in 2025.

5. “A Speak‑Up Company”, proven by workplace voices

In the free-response section of the 2025 survey, comments included：

• “There is an atmosphere where it’s easy to express opinions.”
• “My supervisor listens to me.”
• “The company is stable, though I feel a little uncertain about the future. ”
• “Very satisfied.”
• “I’d be happy if there were a little fruit every day.”

These are not voices of distrust toward the company, but rather statements made on the “premise of continuing to stay” with it. Even dissatisfaction is expressed on the same plane as management. This, above all, is the strongest evidence that KSW is a “quietly strong company.”

6．“Autonomy and Self-Drive” as a Consequence Born of Future Concerns

What stood out in the 2025 survey was the high level of employees’ sense of autonomy. This, too, did not arise from idealistic theory, but from a sober recognition of harsh realities.

• Responding to the EV Shift： For KSW, which is involved in engine-related parts, the shrinking of the market is an undeniable reality. President Takano has consistently conveyed the message: “No matter the environment, we must become the manufacturer that customers choose first.”
• Passing the Baton of Localization：The message that “Because employees have grown, the role of Japanese expatriates will inevitably diminish. We must expand the areas where we think and decide for ourselves” has strengthened the sense of ownership among frontline staff.
• As a Result : For example, in response to the question “I work while setting my own outlook,” the combined percentage of those answering “I agree” or “I somewhat agree” rose from 65.6% in 2021, to 69.9% in 2023, and further to 78.6% in 2025.

7．The Strength of Recognizing “Healthy Challenges”

Of course, not everything is perfect. KSW today continues to confront the issues that lie ahead for the next stage.

• Quality Improvement: While the base level of quality has improved compared to the past, they acknowledge the reality that in certain areas they still lag behind competitors. This, however, represents room for further growth.
• Market Contraction： Amid the unstoppable trend of electrification (EV shift), the question is how to redefine their existing strengths.

Yet the very fact that these challenges are voiced from the frontline is proof that the organization is not stagnant. Rather than hiding problems, they are placed on the table for open discussion. This is precisely KSW’s true strength.

8．“The Next Challenge” for an Organization Where “Safety” Has Become Second Nature”

An analysis of KSW’s free-response comments over time reveals an intriguing shift. Words related to “safety,” which appeared frequently in 2021 and 2023, had relatively decreased by 2025. At first glance, this might seem like a decline in safety awareness.

However, President Takano interprets it differently:

“Scores on safety items have long been high. A sense of reassurance and a certain pride in our safety efforts have taken root. Along with that, employees’ attention may have shifted toward teamwork, autonomy, and ways of working.”

This does not mean that safety has been neglected. Rather, it signifies that safety has been established as a “ given precondition,” allowing the organization to evolve toward more advanced themes.

While many factories remain at the stage of “maintaining safety” or “reducing accidents,” KSW has already moved beyond that, entering the phase of discussing “how we can work better as a team.”

In Conclusion — The Extraordinary Strength of “Carrying Ordinary Things Through to the End”

The Strength of KSW

1. Precisely because it entered the market later, KSW engaged with the local market in earnest.
2. Safety became so ingrained in the culture that even the General Manager could be reprimanded.
3. In dialogue, the process of “first accepting” was repeated with unwavering sincerity.

These seemingly ordinary practices, carried through with the weight of time, have been steadily accumulated. It was not a flashy transformation, but it embodies an unshakable “reproducibility”. KSW is a rare organization where the local speed of “thinking while moving, without fear of change”has fused with the “sincere processes”of a Japanese company. That is what defines KSW.