We were delighted to welcome four representatives from Company T in Brazil for the pre-shipment inspection of their new FALCON FFG. Andre from ISOWA Brazil guided them. I first met two of their top executives two years ago during a dinner at an industry show in Orlando, Florida.
This new order follows a machine they have been using for 30 years. It was truly heartening to hear them say, “the machine from 30 years ago is still working hard for us today.”
When they visited ISOWA on Friday, I unfortunately missed them due to my annual health checkup. However, I was able to join them for breakfast the next morning. When I asked for their impressions of the visit, they were incredibly gracious: “The machinery was excellent. But more than that, we learned so much from the ‘ISOWA-bito,’ the culture, and the overall atmosphere. As a family business ourselves, there was much we wanted to emulate.” It’s the greatest joy for me to have a customer show interest not only in the machines, but also in the unseen “iceberg beneath the surface”—our values and culture, that makes them possible. Our breakfast was filled with insightful questions about ISOWA’s philosophy and my management style.
During our conversation, we stumbled upon a funny topic regarding the acronym “IA.” At ISOWA, “IA” stands for ISOWA America. However, in Brazil, “IA” refers to Artificial Intelligence! In Portuguese, it is Inteligência Artificial, so the initials are reversed compared to English (AI). They joked that they sometimes get ISOWA America and Artificial Intelligence mixed up. Well, perhaps that’s because ISOWA America is just as smart as AI! (laughs)
They kindly invited me to visit Brazil, and I gave them one condition: “It must be during the futbol season. Please don’t invite me during the off-season!” (laughs). If all goes well, I might be watching an authentic futbol match in Brazil for the first time in six years. I have a lot to look forward to!
Talking with the young, new generation of leadership from Company T was truly stimulating. Whether in Japan or Brazil, I believe management that truly values people is the path to success.
Thank you so much for traveling from the other side of the world to visit us!
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