Mr. Nakata is equipped with foreign language abilities and the technical skills developed during his years as an auto mechanic. He leverages these strengths when addressing issues faced by our customers globally. As a dedicated member of the Technical Support Department, he spares no effort in providing technical assistance. In one instance, he was involved in presenting technical proposals to an automaker’s seat supplier. The company adopted the ideas for sewing methods suggested by Mr. Nakata and his team, resulting in a vehicle with beautifully embroidered seats. The accumulated experience of overcoming each individual obstacle is incorporated into the Tajima Group’s stock of expertise. When asked about the true pleasure of such work, Mr. Nakata shared his insights.
Desire for an Overseas-Related Job
“I want to work in a job that involves other countries and experience different cultures.” Mr. Nakata joined Tajima Industries with this desired career in mind. About six months after joining the company, he accompanied his boss on a three-week business trip to Turkey. Since then, he has stayed busy traveling both within Japan and overseas.
The Technical Support Department’s main task is to provide our customers with technical support. The department is called in whenever there is a product defect or malfunction. Following tests run with the customer’s actual machine, the department secures whatever parts are needed to resolve the issue. Mr. Nakata and his colleagues also play an important role providing support in the testing and development of new products, and they often provide technical training for new products. Says Mr. Nakata, “The most rewarding part of this job is communicating with the customers while working out how to solve their problems.”
Embroidery Car Seats
One job that left a lasting impression on Mr. Nakata involved a technical proposal to an automaker’s seat supplier, where Tajima machines were employed to embroider car seats. The supplier decided to adopt the embroidery technique suggested by Nakata and his group. He experienced a tremendous sense of achievement when this unprecedented idea was accepted and officially implemented. The process of resolving embroidery-related technical issues, one after another, contributes to the retention of valuable expertise.
Having worked as an auto mechanic in the past, Mr. Nakata has found that supporting automobile development provides him with opportunities to apply his knowledge and skills. He predicts a boom in car seat and interior embroidery, particularly in Europe, and anticipates that the fields in which embroidery is applied will expand even further
Aiming to Be a Sales Engineer
Members of the Technical Support Department must be able to respond flexibly to issues based on their comprehensive product knowledge. The ability not only to fulfill a customer’s request but also to make technical proposals based on the obtained information creates opportunities to deepen the connection with the customer. Mr. Nakata goal is to become such an engineer, saying, “I want to go a step beyond service engineer and become a sales engineer, one who can offer proposals from a technical standpoint in business discussions.”
Mr. Nakata takes business trips abroad three or four times a year. Each trip takes about two weeks and includes tasks such as attending exhibitions, providing technical training to distributors, and visiting customers’ factories. He will continue to apply his natural energy in traveling around the world as he spreads the word about Tajima’s technologies.
Quality & Technology Management Division | Kenichi Nakata
Born in 1986
Previously worked as an auto mechanic.
He joined Tajima Industries in 2015 with the desire to “work in an overseas-related job.”
As a member of the Technical Support Department, he takes on technical issues for customers both in Japan and abroad.
Mr. Nakata enjoys sports and the outdoors, and the barbecues he hosts have become a company tradition.
