President's Message

Adhering to Our Principle: An Enterprise Is a Public Institution

In 2010, the Panasonic Electric Works Group launched a new Mid-term Plan, aimed at achieving further growth of our business on a global basis. In line with this Mid-term Plan, we will augment our efforts to develop new technologies and products that will help realize a sustainable society, and to expand our overseas business so as to offer such new products to our customers in and outside Japan.

At Panasonic Electric Works, we are taking various "new" initiatives to forge a new business model, establish new business channels, pioneer new business frontlines and develop new product lines. At the same time, since the founding of our Company in 1918 we have always remained steadfast in one principle: An Enterprise Is a Public Institution.*  Our founder firmly believed that an enterprise should not merely pursue profits, but should also contribute to the public by helping improve daily life, and promoting social and cultural development. We believe that we can fulfill our mission as a corporate citizen only through adhering to this time-honored management philosophy, which has long remained the backbone of our CSR activities. The Companys long tradition, originating in this management philosophy, has constantly remained the source of our activities to pursue "new" businesses and products in response to changing social demands.

Synergy between Comfort and Eco-Friendliness

In 2018, Panasonic Electric Works will celebrate its centennial. By that milestone, we intend to develop our company into "Leading global company in Asia combining comfort and eco-friendliness." Through effective use of our original technologies and expertise developed in Japan, we will expand our business in various parts of the world, particularly China, India and other Asian countries. Until recently, our target audience in Asian markets had been confined to the wealthy, but given the rapid increase in middle-income groups, we plan to offer more affordable products that meet demands of this emerging market sector, the demands for greater comfort and enhanced eco-friendliness. By offering diverse product lines that meet specific needs of individual markets, we hope to help local efforts to achieve a sustainable society in respective regions.

Many people believe that comfort and eco-friendliness are mutually exclusive. By seeking to simultaneously achieve both of these key lifestyle concepts, however, we intend to foster new businesses and to create new values. For instance, we are developing "hybrid housing," which, like a hybrid vehicle, makes smart use of alternating current supplied from electric power companies and direct current generated in respective households by solar power generation systems and fuel cells. To realize this idea, we are currently developing equipment, materials and system software for the hybrid housing, which is expected to reduce household CO₂ emissions by 20 to 30% while ensuring comfort in everyday life. We are also developing monitoring and control systems to realize the most economical and energy efficient use of lighting, air conditioning and security apparatuses. In addition to houses and apartments, these apparatuses are designed for use in office buildings and entire towns.

We believe that our quest for solutions that enable synergy between comfort and  eco-friendliness  will steadily develop our Company into an Asia-based global enterprise

Learning and Growing Together with Local Communities

At Panasonic Electric Works, we place priority on corporate citizenship activities that provide employees with ample opportunities to meet with various stakeholders and to promote employees capacity building through interactions.

In 2007, the Company launched a tree-planting campaign in Ryujin, Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture. This campaign, called Nagaki no Mori (Perpetual Forest), has now developed into a corporate-wide program that annually brings together about 400 participants. Moreover, at local elementary schools, our employees organize science classes on environmentally conscious use of lighting equipment. Furthermore, using light emitting diodes (LED), our employees hold LED craft classes at community events and local festivals.

Panasonic Electric Works is also eager to support sports activities. Members of our corporate American football team, for instance, coach local high school students on weekends. Regarding kendo (Japanese martial art), employees with dan (high ranks) serve as instructors at local schools and police stations. I myself am ranked at the seventh grade in kendo and train together with residents of the local community. Friendships I foster with those residents truly enrich my life, both official and private.

To promote fine arts, in 2003 the Company opened the Shiodome Museum in our Tokyo Head Office Building. The Museum holds a permanent display of our collection, comprising works by Georges Rouault, a French artist. In addition, the Museum annually holds three special exhibitions on the themes "architecture and home living" and "lifestyles and culture." The number of visitors to the Museum reached approximately 380,000 in the end of April 2010. The Shiodome Museum indeed functions as a showcase of our Companys commitments to promoting art and culture.

Keeping in mind the principle that "An Enterprise Is a Public Institution," we are striving to fulfill our mission through our business activities. At the same time, I find it truly delightful to have friendly exchanges with various stakeholders, since through such interactions I can confirm that both parties are learning from each other and growing through mutual stimulation.