Marubeni Corporation

“Your journey starts here!” I recently visited The RRG Group and HPL Motors Used Car Supermarket Group —automobile dealerships owned by Marubeni Auto Investment (UK) Limited in Manchester, England—where I witnessed not only the cheerful greetings and bright smiles of the staff but also the thorough attention to detail throughout their showrooms. From product displays and diligent customer service to the care taken during vehicle delivery and comprehensive repair services, I was impressed by the sales operations that meticulously consider every aspect of the customer experience and continuously build upon small improvements. One of the driving forces behind this is the “23 rules and 7 best practices” boards displayed in their workspaces. Each principle conveys a spirit of striving to make the workplace even better than it is today. In particular, the phrase “Bring your ‘A’ game every day” conveys their determination to work their hardest every single day. The population of Greater Manchester is growing, and its metro area is currently undergoing significant expansion. From RRG, I could see a cluster of towering new high-rise buildings, and I could sense the momentum for even greater growth in the future. I was told that at RRG, team members tell customers, “Your journey starts here!” when delivering a vehicle. I felt this was a phrase perfectly suited to RRG and HPL as they pursue further growth from this point forward. Indeed, their journey toward continued growth starts here—and I, for one, am very much looking forward to witnessing it. Your journey starts here! 英国マンチェスターのMarubeni Auto Investment UKが保有する自動車ディーラー事業会社のRRG GroupとHPL Motors Groupを訪問し、社員の皆様の明るい挨拶と笑顔に加え、店舗における細部まで行き届いた工夫を目の当たりにしました。商品の陳列、接客の間合い、納車時の心配り、修理サービスの充実等、お客様の体験一つひとつに細やかに配慮し、小さな改善を積み上げる販売オペレーションの現場が印象的でした。 その原動力の一つが現場に置かれた「23のルールと7つのベストプラクティス」のボードです。その一つ一つの言葉から、現場を今より良くしようというスピリットが伝わってきます。特に、「Bring your “A” game every day.」の言葉には「日々全力を尽くす」意気込みを感じています。 マンチェスターは域内人口が増加し、足元で大きく成長しています。RRGからはそびえ立つ新しい高層ビル群が見え、今後の更なる成長の息吹も窺えました。 RRGでは納車の際にお客様に「Your journey starts here.」という言葉をかけるそうです。ここから更なる成長を追求するRRGとHPLにこそ、ふさわしいフレーズだと感じました。「Your journey starts here!」今後の両社の更なる成長を期待しています。 Marubeni Corporation

“Growth is the result of many hands working together.” Since becoming a member of the Marubeni Group in 1996, Mertens—a dedicated supplier of inputs for horticultural agriculture, operating primarily in the Netherlands—has seen steady growth, reaching nearly five times its original sales. With its mission to be a “one-stop shop” that facilitates the business operations of 4,500 greenhouse growers and other types of horticultural companies, Mertens makes a difference by offering growing methods that minimize the use of chemicals—such as biocontrol by natural enemies, biostimulants to improve plant growth and resilience —and by providing services that optimize the timing of supply deliveries for both its clients and, in turn, their customers. A passage from the company’s introduction video, shown to me by CEO Mart Verheijen, greatly inspired me as a philosophy that can also be applied to the Marubeni Group’s own growth strategy: “Growth is never a matter of luck. Growth is the result of many hands working together. The flowers of tomorrow are in the seeds of today.” We also discussed Mertens’ plan to expand further across Europe, and I look forward to the company’s continued medium- to long-term growth. Mertens Introduction Video: https://lnkd.in/geszEJd2 ”Growth is the result of many hands working together. ” Mertensはオランダを中心に園芸農業向けの資材販売事業を展開しており、1996年のMarubeni Corporationの参画以降、その売上は5倍弱にまで着実に成長しています。 「ワンストップショップとして4500社の施設園芸生産者の事業運営を円滑にする」をミッションとし、天敵による生物的防除や、植物の成長/耐性を向上させるバイオスティミュラントの使用などケミカルをできるだけ使わない農法の提供、資材の納品タイミングを取引先とその顧客の為に最適化するサービスなどで、違いを生み出しています。 MertensのVerheijen CEOから見せていただいた同社の紹介動画の一節は、丸紅グループの成長戦略にも適用できる考え方として大変にInspireされました。 「Growth is never a matter of luck. Growth is the result of many hands working together. The flowers of tomorrow are in the seeds of today.」 欧州大陸で更なる地域拡張をしていくという成長プランもお伺いし、Mertensの今後の更なる中長期的な成長を期待しています。   Mertens紹介動画：https://lnkd.in/geszEJd2

Making History with Spain’s First IPS   Rising electricity demand driven by the expansion of AI and data centers is a key growth theme for the next generation. In Europe—particularly in the Iberian region—robust economic growth and rising demand are anticipated. I recently visited FACTOR ENERGIA, which Marubeni acquired this year through SmartestEnergy. Founded in 1999, it was Spain’s first independent power supplier (IPS) and operates wholesale and retail power and gas businesses in Spain and Portugal, as well as in Central and South America, including Mexico, Brazil, and Chile. In a conversation with CEO and Founder Emilio Rousaud Parés, I learned about Factorenergia’s remarkable history—how it established pioneering supply services and operational systems amid the reform of Spain’s electricity market in the early 2000s and expanded its business across the Iberian Peninsula—as well as its future growth strategies. He also shared advanced and innovative initiatives for the next era, including the sophisticated conversational capabilities of the company’s customer support AI. In addition to plans to further expand its customer base by leveraging SmartestEnergy’s strengths, the company has numerous growth initiatives aimed at expanding its overseas operations, particularly in Latin America, and I am excited to see how these efforts unfold. Starting here and now, I look forward to creating a new chapter in history together with both Factorenergia and SmartestEnergy.    「スペイン初のIPSと共に新たな歴史を創る」 AI・データセンターの拡充により切り上がる電力需要は次世代への成長テーマの一つです。欧州では特にイベリア地域で、堅調な経済成長・需要成長が想定されています。   丸紅が今年SmartestEnergyを通して買収したFactorenergiaを訪問しました。1999年に創業したスペインの初の独立系電力供給会社(Independent Power Supply)であり、スペイン、ポルトガルに加えメキシコ・ブラジル・チリなどの中南米において電力・ガス卸売・小売事業を展開しています。 Emilio Rousaud Parés CEO & Founderとの対話では、2000年代初頭よりスペインの電力市場改革が進む中、先駆的な供給サービスと操業体制を構築され、イベリア地域で事業拡充された素晴らしい同社の歴史と、今後の成長戦略を伺いました。高度な対話力を備えた同社の顧客サポートAIなど、次の時代に向けた先進的・革新的な施策も共有頂いています。また、SmartestEnergyの強みを活かした更なる顧客基盤の拡充の計画に加え、中南米地域をはじめ海外事業拡充の成長施策も多数あり、今後の展開が楽しみです。 Factorenergia社と共に、そしてSmartestEnergy社と共に、今からここから新たな歴史を共に創ることを楽しみにしています。

Working Together to Explore the Frontiers of Space   D-Orbit was founded in 2011 in anticipation of the emerging small satellite market. Today, it is a comprehensive satellite solutions provider whose core business is the provision of satellite transportation services using ION—a last-mile delivery vehicle for small satellites, developed in-house. To date, the company has successfully launched 23 ION units into orbit, demonstrating its high level of precision in orbital insertion technology. Marubeni Corporation, which has been building its space business since the 1990s, has been partnering with D-Orbit since 2020. At its factory on the outskirts of Milan, I observed the ION manufacturing process—which incorporates numerous innovative improvements—and had discussions with CEO Luca Rossettini and other executives regarding the expansion of satellite services, including transportation, cloud computing, and in-orbit services. D-Orbit is building a track record of collaboration with Marubeni, in areas from customer acquisition to operational support. Together, we are heading toward space—the eternal frontier. I look forward to seeing what further developments the D-Orbit team continues to achieve in the future.   宇宙フロンティアを共に目指す D-Orbitは2011年に小型衛星市場の到来を見越して創業され、現在は自社開発した小型衛星のラストマイルデリバリー輸送機ION（アイオン）による輸送サービス販売を核にする衛星向け総合ソリューションプロバイダーです。現在までに23機のIONの軌道上打ち上げの実績があり、精密さが求められる軌道投入技術の高さを実証しています。1990年代より宇宙ビジネスを長く積み上げてきた丸紅は、2020年から同社と提携しています。 ミラノ郊外の工場現場にて改善工夫を凝らしたION製造プロセスを拝見し、Luca Rossettini CEO以下幹部の皆様と、拡充を目指す輸送事業、クラウドコンピューティング事業、軌道上サービス事業等の衛星サービス事業への展開について対話しています。 丸紅による顧客開拓や操業支援等、協業の実績も積み上がりつつあります。共に、永遠のフロンティアである宇宙へ。今後の更なる展開を楽しみにしています。

Earlier this month, I participated in a roundtable session that brought together the CEOs of Marubeni Group companies in Europe. I shared with them the Marubeni Group’s goal of aiming for global heights, and we engaged in a candid exchange of views on the challenges they face and the solutions necessary to drive our collective growth. This was the first time we held a CEO roundtable session in Europe, and the gathering proved to be a meaningful opportunity for all, yielding productive discussions that delved deeply into insights from each of the participants. For example, when one CEO brought up a key challenge for their company, the CEOs of other companies shared their own experiences—often illustrating their points with concrete examples—to address the issue at hand. As a CEO myself, I also shared the management philosophy and approach that I have pledged to the entire Marubeni Group. I am convinced that this CEO network—where we can openly share management challenges, engage in frank discussions, and spark new ideas and solutions—will become a unique forum distinctive to Marubeni as we take a panoramic view of the world and aim for the highest global standards.   今月初めに、Marubeni Corporationの欧州の事業会社のCEOが一同に会するCEOラウンドテーブルに参加しました。世界の高みを目指す丸紅グループの目標を全員で共有し、共に如何に成長していけるのか、CEOの皆さんが考える課題と対策について率直な意見交換しています。 CEOラウンドテーブルは欧州地域では初の試みでしたが、核心を捉えるCEOの課題提起に対して他のCEOより事例を交えて経験共有がなされる等、それぞれの知見を掘り下げる有意義な議論が展開されました。私自身も一人のCEOとして丸紅グループ全体にお約束している経営の考え方、姿勢を共有しました。 経営課題を共有し、互いに率直な議論をし、気づきや新たな解決策を喚起できる貴重なCEOのネットワークは、今ここから世界の高みを目指し、世界を俯瞰する丸紅ならではの貴重な場になっていくと確信しています。

The entrepreneurial spirit that creates worthwhile differences is characterized by a relentless pursuit of innovation, consistent and meticulous actions focused on the details, and an unwavering belief in the mission and impact of one’s business. After speaking with Taavi Madiberk, the CEO of Skeleton Technologies—an Estonian company with which Marubeni Corporation has had a capital and business partnership since 2019—I have once again found myself reflecting on these thoughts. With super-capacitors as its core business, Skeleton has become a leading next-generation company in Estonia, a country known for producing numerous unicorns (start-up companies valued at one billion dollars or more). Its technology, which can deliver high power instantaneously, is known to have caught the attention of Elon Musk during his student days. Through steady research and development, Skeleton has evolved and commercialized its technology, steadily growing its revenue through applications such as solutions for energy-efficient data center, stable power transmission line, and commercial vehicle starting systems. In particular, President Taavi explained to me that energy-efficient solutions for data centers lead to improved GPU performance and significant reductions in lifecycle costs, and that there is great potential for substantially reducing capital expenditure for data centers. He also noted that the steady and patient application development being carried out jointly with Marubeni is now translating into business opportunities for AI data centers. I am convinced that Skeleton’s belief in the difference super-capacitors can make will further expand its business, and I look forward to seeing its rapid growth moving forward.   「違い」を生み出す起業家精神とは、貪欲な革新性の追求、細部にこだわる地道なアクションの積み上げ、そして事業のミッション・インパクトを信じ続ける信念です。丸紅が2019年より資本業務提携をしているエストニアのSkeleton TechnologiesのTaavi社長との対話を経て、改めてこのことに思いを馳せています。 Skeleton社はスーパーキャパシタを軸とし、数々のユニコーンを生み出すエストニアを代表する新たな次世代企業となっています。瞬時に大電力を供給できるテクノロジーで、イーロン・マスク氏が学生時代に注目していたことも知られています。Skeleton社は地道な研究開発で技術を進化・商業化し、データセンター向け省電力運用、送電線安定運用、商用車のエンジン始動などで売上を確実に伸ばしつつあります。 特にデータセンター向け省電力運用はGPUのパーフォマンス向上・ライフサイクルコストの大幅削減に繋がり、データセンター向けCAPEXを大きく削減していく可能性が見出されていることをTaavi社長より今回伺いました。そして、丸紅と共同で進めている地道な忍耐を伴うアプリケーション開発が現在のAIデータセンター向けの商機に繋がっているとの言葉を頂いています。 スーパーキャパシタが生み出す違いを信じる信念は、Skeleton社の業容を更に大きくしていくものと確信しています。Skeleton社のここからの飛躍的な成長に期待をしています。

Marubeni gears up for machine tool growth in India as chips, data centers boom https://lnkd.in/epvscSYg