This interview was with Mr Kudo from the Sales Department. He was originally in the Technical Development Department, but transferred to the Sales Department in 2021.
From a technical position to a sales position. We spoke to Mr. Kudo, who works across a range of fields, about his work.
[a.m.]
- Start of work at 8 am. 10-15 minutes before the plant.
- Radio calisthenics and a general morning meeting.
- Next, a morning meeting in the sales department. As there are also employees in Tokyo and Shizuoka, they check each other’s work for the day via Zoom.
- After the morning meeting, each individual starts his or her work. In Mr. Kudo’s case, “test deposition,” “new sales calls,” “presentations to customers,” etc.
[p.m.]
- ‘Taking out test deposition samples’, ‘report writing and submission’, ‘sales activities’.
- When receiving orders for projects, ‘order processing paperwork’ and ‘preparation and submission of documents and drawings to the factory’.
- Leaves on time at 17:00. Overtime work is sometimes required.
Contents
- 1 Why did you choose SUGA as your new company to work with?
- 2 What are the ‘good things’ you have experienced since joining to SUGA?
- 3 What makes you ‘happy’ about working at SUGA?
- 4 What is the ‘rewarding’ aspect of working at SUGA?
- 5 What are the strengths of SUGA?
- 6 What is required for the job?
- 7 Tell us what you like about the town you live in.
- 8 Summary
Why did you choose SUGA as your new company to work with?
I am a special case, but when I decided to change jobs, I already knew I would return to my home town.
When I returned from my previous place of work in Chiba Prefecture, I re-entered the major course at my alma mater, Hakodate National College of Technology, to further deepen my knowledge. When I graduated, I wanted to find a job locally and my teacher introduced me to SUGA.
What are the ‘good things’ you have experienced since joining to SUGA?
The range of work that can be done has expanded. I thought it was an attractive place to gain experience outside of one job.
Previously, I worked as a tuner block designer for a major electronics manufacturer in Kisarazu, Chiba. It was a specialized department, so I could only work in that field, for better or worse.
SUGA has a total of around 30 employees and is much smaller than its predecessor. So sometimes I have to do all sorts of things, not just in my area of expertise. It’s hard work, but I have to do a lot of different jobs on my own, and I think that’s broadened my work procedures and skills.
What makes you ‘happy’ about working at SUGA?
The equipment we have built for our customers has been used in research and the results have been published in papers. There is a joy that comes with sales that makes use of the knowledge of technical work.
One of my dreams is that the research results of teachers using our equipment will one day win a Nobel or other prize. We will continue to work hard to make good proposals to ensure that this happens.
What is the ‘rewarding’ aspect of working at SUGA?
I was originally a technician, but transferred to the sales department in 2021. I was assigned to sell equipment to researchers, mainly at universities in the Hokkaido area.
Specifically, I use my technical knowledge to customize equipment to meet the requirements of university professors, and conversely, make suggestions to fulfil our customers’ requirements.
It is very difficult to reconcile the professor’s requests with our ideas, but the process of building up together with the customer gives me a different sense of achievement than when I was in a technical position.
What are the strengths of SUGA?
One of the strengths is its ‘minimalist, stripped-down design’.
Professors at universities have a limited budget to purchase equipment and do not need large equipment for mass-production in their laboratories.
Due to budget constraints, many people think that they would like to try deposition first, so the compact, easy-to-incorporate design and functions of our machine are exactly right for university research use.
Another of our strengths is our ‘knowledge and technology to reflect researchers’ requirements in our equipment’. Over the years, we have accumulated experience in customizing its equipment to meet the requirements of university researchers.
Furthermore, we can produce small equipment applicable for 4-inch wafer’.
Small devices like ours are hard to find elsewhere, so we can meet the need to be able to place them in small laboratories’.
What is required for the job?
The key is imagination. This is common to both technical and sales work.
What will these components be used for?
What happens when a force is applied to this component?
It is important to be imaginative and see how far ahead we can really go and questioning if it’s really good enough to reflect this requirements?. This is because it results in good proposals.
Tell us what you like about the town you live in.
I live in Hokuto City, a neighboring town to Hakodate. This town is,
- Free medical care for children up to high school age.
- You can see the sea.
- Gourmet town with lots of good food
I think there are only a few towns in the country that offer subsidized medical care for children, so this is a great benefit for households raising children.
Fishing can also be enjoyed when the sea is nearby. I sometimes go there, and recently Hakodate has also started to catch Buri (Yellowtail). You can enjoy fishing for all kinds of fish and have a great holiday.
After all, the best part is that you can eat a lot of delicious food!
When I was in Chiba, I enjoyed eating and comparing seafood, but seafood in Hokkaido is special. If you live here, you should enjoy it.
Summary
In this article, we introduced the voices of employees working at SUGA Co., Ltd. We are looking for people to work with. For a detailed application, see the recruitment page below.
Click here for information on employment opportunities at SUGA in Hokuto city, Hokkaido..
There are also some interviews with other employees.
