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Home Corporate Voices GKN Driveline Japan - Headquarters
| Company Name | GKN Driveline Japan - Headquarters |
|---|---|
| Address | 〒328-8502 2388 Omiya District, Tochigi City, Tochigi Prefecture |
| TEL | 0282-27-1111 |
| Website | http://www.gkndriveline.com/drivelinecms/₯₯₯ ¦Click to open a separate window |
GKN Driveline is the world's leading supplier of automotive driveline components and systems. GKN Driveline Japan provides a total system creating added values by increased performances of the vehicles. In this issue we visited their head office in Tochigi City, and interviewed with Sadaaki Watanabe, Executive Vice President.
y Drive Shaft z
y Tochigi Plant z
Our company's main business is development and manufacturing of automotive driveline components.
Headquarters is located in UK with having 46 business operations worldwide,
here is an operation in Japan.
Driveline components include various components such as engine, transmission, and power -transfer parts for wheels, principally GNK handles all kinds of those products. Our operation in Japan manages mainly components to transfer engine power and torque to wheels.
One example is "Constant Velocity Joint". When a vehicle travels, it operates in various conditions in bouncing or articulating postures, but wheels have to be rotated in constant velocity in every conditions to travel smoothly.
"Constant Velocity Joint" is a power transferring component used in such systems, our products maintain the world top class market share.
In Tochigi Prefecture, we are unique and premium automobile components manufacturer with consolidating all the functions of development, manufacturing, and supplying in Tochigi and develop business globally.
We are in a very good location environment as an automotive components manufacturer, since many major Japanese auto manufacturers are located in near here.
Our company has a large-sized test-driving course which opened to auto makers and some other organizations also, and visitors from the Kanto region are able to reach smoothly to our facilities by using the expressway interchange situated near by.
For logistics, our suppliers may deliver products through the expressway. In that sense, our location is a good location for accessibility from our customer's point of view too.
We have viscous coupling components produced for about 25 years. This speed-difference response type of torque transfer equipment enable to modify a standard passenger car to a 4WD car instantly. We develop and manufacture a technology which can provide passenger car based 4WD cars in relatively low price.
Since, 20 million pieces of those viscous couplings had been produced in Tochigi plant. Globally there is no any other company who manufactures in such large volume. As of today, 4WD small sized Kei-Jidosha (special Japanese category of small cars) became popular, our technologies and products are popularly equipped on them.
For other our products also, by applying various advanced technologies, we maintain the world top class market share. We believe we are the No.1 driveline supplier within Japanese manufacturers.
y Test Course z
As an automotive components manufacturer, it is a very unique feature to have a test course. The comprehensive test course can simulate every natural environment, with fully equipped equipment and shops, improvements and maintaining of high quality are pursued through the products evaluations test using actual vehicles. Our test course may be used for reconfirming the auto maker's research outcomes or for a test driving event by auto dealers.
y Fire Works z
y Summer Festival z
As contributions for the auto industry in Tochigi, and to provided our company's more than 50 years of accumulated technologies to the automotive parts related companies, On-site seminars were arranged since 2008 for several times.
Other our corporate activities are actively implemented in such as work-balance promotion activities, introduction of "Childcare leave system" as a part of gender equality activities, and development of "Volunteer leave system" for our employees to let them participate on volunteering.
For our contributions for the local community, weekly cleaning activities of surrounding areas and charity fund raising for the Tochigi City Welfare Associations were held.
For more than 40 years consecutively, a summer festival has been held. In every year, 3,000 to 5,000 of people visited for the event held in Tochigi plant ground where fire works are accompanied.
Other activities are promoted positively by providing our test course, such as for a demonstration drive of solar cars.
In environment, we are striving to develop fuel-saving, high efficiency and small compact products to reduce environment impacts. We have many operations in all over the world, and are managing the global assessment system for the amount of emitted items and it's volume in related with the production activities and level of efficiencies.
y Sadaaki Watanabe, Executive Vice President z
Now a days, our automotive industry is facing a tough time, but in such a situation, the auto industry is indispensable and very important for Japan to compete in the global market.
Currently about 75 million units of cars are manufactured globally in every year, and 1/3 of them are Japanese cars.
We strongly hope that Tochigi people, especially young people, pay attention to the future development of auto industry in the world, and to say "I want to work in the industry".
Our company is a foreign invested company, but products are Japanese made products at the end, and most of them are supplied to Japanese auto manufacturers.
We believe our company are unique in the meaning of a company to make auto industry grow. It is grateful for us if more people in Tochigi show their interests.
