I would like to begin by expressing my sincere gratitude to the Company’s shareholders and investors for their ongoing support.
In fiscal 2023, from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024, global markets were unpredictable amid the collapse of China’s property market, concerns over economic slowdowns triggered by monetary tightening in several countries, and complex geopolitical tensions stemming from conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine. In Japan, however, economic activity returned to normal following the government’s downgrading of COVID-19 to the same level as seasonal influenza, and the country appeared to be exiting a long deflationary period as wages rose and companies signaled a stronger appetite for capital investment.
In this operating environment, the Yasuda Logistics Group worked to establish a business structure capable of generating more growth, guided by our medium-term management plan. As part of these initiatives, in the Logistics business segment, the Group has been following a basic strategy of adding value to services by broadening networks and providing better solutions for customers. So, the Company expanded the warehousing and delivery networks for the Domestic Logistics business segment by opening a new facility, Kazo Logistics Center (Saitama Prefecture), and acquiring all shares in Orient Service Co., Ltd. The Company also broadened services in the International Logistics business segment by establishing subsidiaries in Singapore and India and by opening a new freight forwarding center in Shenzhen, China.
Among our initiatives for digitally transforming the Group’s logistics facilities, we have been installing AGVs (automatic guided vehicles), AMRs (autonomous mobile robots), and unmanned forklifts to help reduce both workloads and the need for labor in logistics operations.
In December 2023, Yasuda Logistics received Gold Certification from the Healthy Enterprise Declaration Tokyo Promotion Council as an Excellent Corporation for Health Management. On the momentum of this achievement, the Group will continue to improve employee health; maintain safe and pleasant working environments; and ensure the comfort and prosperity of employees as an enterprise that values people. Further, the current fiscal year, ending March 31, 2025, is the final year of our medium-term management plan, YASDA Next Challenge 2024. So, we are more motivated than ever to raise the Company’s corporate value based on our commitment to meet the diverse needs of society and our customers. We will do this by enhancing the YASDA Value through a fusion of cutting-edge technology with the expertise of our staff.
As we move forward with these initiatives, we ask for the continued support of the Company’s shareholders and investors.
June 2024
Kazunari Ogawa
President and CEO
Yasuda Logistics Corporation