Three years have already passed and YAMABIKO Corporation has celebrated its 4th New Year. During this period YAMABIKO Corporation, a global corporation with three brands Kioritz, ECHO, and Shindaiwa and three core businesses focusing on portable outdoor power equipment, agricultural field maintenance machines, and industrial machinery, has been focused on achieving synergy from the merger and recovery from the drastic changes in the worldwide economic situation. By quickly combining the management resources from the former Kioritz Corporation and Shindaiwa Corporation, I’m pleased to say that YAMABIKO Corporation has been able to significantly improve its financial performance and earnings strength.

When I look back, 2011 was a very chaotic year beginning with the March 11th East Japan earthquake and tsunami, the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster, the slow and painful recovery processes from the disaster and then the serious months-long flooding in Thailand that followed. The latter part of the year produced the currency crisis in Europe triggered by financial problems in Greece, which badly affected the global economy which shows little signs of recovery today.

Although the economic situation is still unstable and unpredictable, in August 2011 we published our three year business plan ending in March 2014 with goals of completing the synergy effect from the merger, achieving steady and continual growth in our core businesses, and preparing for the next phase of corporate growth.

By completing the tasks and objectives laid out in the three year business plan, YAMABIKO Corporation and its companies will create stronger earning power, an unshakable corporate management base, and international competitiveness for continual business expansion.

In order to achieve these goals, we are committed to increasing the global market share of our largest business segment, portable outdoor power equipment, by maximizing the synergy effect from the merger. We will also expand the agricultural field maintenance machine business and the industrial machinery business and strongly establish them in the marketplace.

We will foster YAMABIKO Corporation and its group companies into a business unit that reflects our corporate philosophy. “The company that grows its business by striving to sustain a healthy environment today and for the future, for people all over the world”.