Ikumasa SUGA
President and CEO
SUGA Co., Ltd.
Let’s work together to provide new value from Hokkaido to the world.
We, SUGA Co., Ltd. provides a comprehensive range of R&D support equipment that can be useful in the field of R&D for device/material development with vacuum and high temperature technologies as its core technologies, and marine equipment for fishing boats, mainly clutch systems for driving auxiliary equipment, as an expert in power transmission.
Founded in 1946 in the business of repairing fishing boat equipment.
In 1993, the company started manufacturing vacuum equipment and vacuum devices with the aim of further developing and improving the company.
In 2000, SUGA began selling its own sputtering equipment and has expanded its activities mainly to universities and research institutes.
This episode features an interview with Ikumasa Suga, President and CEO of SUGA Co., Ltd.
About the industry
– What are the assumptions regarding ‘recent industry concerns/issues’
In recent years, due to various circumstances and regulations, fewer customers are making their own laboratory equipment.
Of course, a few customers still actively build their own devices.
However, since the experiment is an act of “searching” for the optimal combination, it is apparent that the researchers are struggling due to the demand for faster results and the lack of human resources.
– What are the perceptions and measures regarding ‘latest trends and future of the industry’?
The following are some of the elements that make them up.
- Demands for the quick results for research and development.
- Increased safety awareness
- Improved work-life balance
We operates under the management philosophy of ‘co-creation’.
Since our activities are based on creating something together with our customers, we would like to help them to be creative in their R&D and experiments, and together we will break out of the status quo.
We intend to investigate and develop AI, which is budding as a new tool, so that we can make proposals that our customers and we can use as soon as possible.
– What can SUGA contribute to the industry?
We believe that by ‘co-creating’, we can help to ‘develop people’ who are creative in their research, development and experimentation.
– What are the key differences between other companies and SUGA?
The word ‘co-creation’ has the meaning of ‘based on the originality of the customer and the collaborative creation of new value’.
We can be a partner rather than a supplier.
About AGUS
– Why AGUS? What is the origin of the naming?
SUGA was turned upside down to become AGUS, signifying a change to an attractive company that will turn SUGA’s past history upside down.
What is the brand image that AGUS is aiming for?
A brand that can realize customer’s requirements with the strength of its manufacturing technology.
‘You know you can talk to AGUS and they’ll solve your problems.’
– The thought behind the name AGUS
The company name will be changed to AGUS in the near future.
The goal is to change the name of the company from a personal name to a company that will continue to be managed by a manager who is not a member of the family.
What are President Suga’s future dreams?
I want to create a workplace where we can work for our customers on the same principles, even if we have different individual characteristics, such as age, gender, nationality, religion, etc.
About human resources
What are the fundamental values you look for in your employees?
It is necessary to understand that working means accumulating wisdom and solving customers’ problems (overcoming challenges).
What goals do you want your employees to have?
Any goals are just fine.
I believe that it is good to have work and personal goals.
What books would you like your employees to read?
Any book is acceptable.
It does not have to be limited to books.
The following is conveyed in new employee training.
- To nourish your brain, read books.
- To nourish your eyes: look at beautiful things.
- To nourish your mind, experience things that move you.
- To grow up, talk to different people.
– Please tell us about a good story about an employee that you have noticed in the company.
Some employees remove weeds etc. between the footpath and the carriageway at cleaning time on their own initiative.
Thanks to this, the company maintains an appearance and atmosphere befitting precision machinery manufacturing.
This is just one example, but it shows that our company is built on the thoughts and actions of each and every one of us.
Finally, a few words for those considering joining SUGA
We are solving the problems of customers all over the world with state-of-the-art technology.
Let’s work together to provide new value from Hokkaido to the world.
