Since manufacturing its first products in Japan in 1909, the Osaka-based Rengo Group has been known as the pioneer of Japan's corrugated board industry - and has swiftly reacted to global needs in value-added packaging for over a century since.

With close to 50 years of experience in the paper industry, the company's president and CEO, Kiyoshi Otsubo, is committed to continuing this tradition in innovation. He has organized Rengo's six business divisions: paperboard, corrugated packaging, folding cartons, flexible packaging, heavy-duty packaging and overseas business.

In 2011, Rengo Group acquired shares in the Hung Hing Printing Group, South China's largest printing and packaging provider.

"I knew the former founder of Hung Hing very well," recalls Otsubo. "By adding the full range of expertise that Rengo possesses to Hung Hing, we plan to increase synergies and achieve extensive growth in line with China's growing economy."

Otsubo, who is also vice-chairman of the Japan-China Economic Relations and Trade Centre and the Kansai Economic Federation, works closely with the Chinese Consul-General in Osaka Liu Yiren, on promoting closer business ties between the two countries. Otsubo is particularly conscious about the need to contribute to a better environment and more eco-friendly society across both countries.

"Rengo has been a leading proponent and participant in Japan's well-established and highly efficient system for recycling corrugated packaging - with an excellent recovery rate of 96.2 percent," he says. "In the past two years our carbon emissions have been reduced by 30 percent as well. Rengo would like to provide this know-how to our Chinese companies and contribute to the reduction of carbon emissions in China in the future."

The company's Sendai Harbor plant suffered extensive damage due to the earthquake and subsequent tsunami in 2011. But with Otsubo's management philosophy of self-confidence, speed, and simple thinking the decision was made shortly afterwards to rebuild and construct a new plant.

On March 15, 2012, just one year after the disaster, Rengo's newly reconstructed plant was inaugurated in Sendai. "Through communication with our employees, I knew that the people of Tohoku are deeply attached to the area. I knew in my heart that it was critically important to make it clear that Rengo would not run away from the area," Otsubo explains.

Today the Rengo Group continues to push for excellence as a comprehensive packaging provider that can supply unique products for special applications as well as fulfill the complete packaging needs of various industries.

www.rengo.co.jp/english

World Eye Reports provided the story

(China Daily 02/06/2013 page7)