NEWS

2021 New Year's Reflections

January 01, 2021

I want to wish all of you a very happy New Year. I hope that you have enjoyed a restful and peaceful New Year's holiday.

Last year did not go as expected. COVID-19 wreaked havoc, overseas travel was restricted, and we were forced to reform the way we work. The Tokyo Olympics were postponed, and the global economy was severely impacted. It was a harsh year. The infection spread more than initially expected and is still continuing, while we are getting used to the "new normal."

This has also affected our company in various ways. The exhibitions in Japan we present at each year were all canceled. Furthermore, interpack, the world's largest packaging exhibition held once every 3 years, has also been cancelled. We lost a big opportunity to announce our new model, for which we had been preparing over many years.

However, I feel there have also been many cases where this has turned difficult situations into opportunities. We were able to speedily adopt a work-from-home system, which we had been considering for a long time as part of our efforts for diversity, but had not been able to actually achieve. This also became a catalyst to promote web-based promotions and new customer services.

At the same time, we were also able to re-acknowledge the importance of face-to-face communication. I believe that, moving forward, it will become even more important for us to accurately recognize the convenience of remote technology as well as the merits of actually meeting in-person, and then strike a balance.

We also saw the heated presidential election in America. In the end, Joe Biden overcame an unprecedented struggle to achieve victory. At the same time, it was decided that America will have a female vice-president for the first time in history. I believe that COVID-19 countermeasures including those for the economy, as well as diversity, were significant deciding factors. In particular, diversity has become an important topic around the world. This event made us once again deeply consider the issue of "diversity" that the world is currently facing.

Oddly, I now feel even more strongly that "the era we are entering will have a society where only those who adapt to changes can survive," as I mentioned in my Expectations for the Start of the Year for last year. In order to adapt to the new normal and new ways of thinking, youthfulness and the flexibility to accept new things will become even more important. Meanwhile, our "core as a company" (= OMORI Spirits) must remain unshaken. Reliably passing that on while striking a good balance will be very important.

Moving forward, our company must strike various balances as we turn difficult situations into opportunities and change with the times. To that end, I believe we will need the support of many people. I would like for all of you to join together as we strive to make our company one that is more fit for the era. I thank you for your continued guidance and encouragement.

Lastly, I wish you all much happiness, and most of all, good health in the New Year.

Omori Machinery Co., Ltd.
CEO and President
Toshio Omori