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Corporate Profile |
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 Background
Hitachi, Ltd. first started out in 1910 as a humble electrical
repair shop for a copper mining company in Japan. The
name Hitachi literally means "sunrise", reflecting
the founding philosophy of contributing to people and
society through technology. This philosophy has helped
Hitachi become one of the world's largest corporations
today, employing approximately 340,000 employees globally.
In Singapore, Hitachi started with a liaison office in
1963 and expanded its operations in 1972 to manufacture
a wide range of products. In 1989, Hitachi Asia Ltd. (previously
Hitachi Asia Pte. Ltd.) was established as one of Hitachi's
four regional headquarters with the other three in America,
Europe and China. In 1990, the company was awarded the
Operational Headquarters (OHQ) status by the Singapore
Economic Development Board (EDB).
Business
Activities
As regional headquarters, Hitachi Asia Ltd. (HAS) co-ordinates
the marketing and sales activities for IT, industrial,
electrical and electronic products and solutions, as well
as conducts international procurement for Hitachi's manufacturing
plants worldwide. Since its establishment, HAS has grown
rapidly both in operations and size. It now has a network
of 12 offices in eight countries across Asia Pacific,
and an annual sales turnover of approximately S$4.7 billion
in fiscal year 2002 (ended 31 March 2003).
To diversify and expand its business operations, HAS has
also vested interests in regional ventures ranging from
manufacturing facilities to trading companies, design
and customer service centres. In 1998, HAS was converted
from a private limited to a non-listed public company
and granted Financial Treasury Centre status by Monetary
Authority of Singapore (MAS) to enable it to issue bonds.
The conversion was aimed at strengthening its ability
to provide financial support to the Hitachi group in Asia.
Community Relations
Hitachi believes that as a key player
in the region, its responsibilities extend beyond
business investments. As such, it has consistently
engaged in activities that contribute directly to
its local communities.
In Singapore, Hitachi's longest standing community
contribution programme, is the annual Christmas
Light-Up which takes place along bustling Orchard
Road. Hitachi has been the major sponsor of this
highly visible event since 1991, and has raised
funds in the excess of S$2 million for the beneficiaries
of the National Council of Social Services.
To promote the development of the next generation
of leaders in Asia, Hitachi established the "Hitachi
Young Leaders Initiative" in 1996. Through
this programme, many outstanding Asian students
have come together to exchange views and ideas on
regional issues.
To Hitachi, it is important to build strong community
relations with the members of its society. With
this positive mindset, Hitachi continues to engage
in meaningful activities that benefit the communities
in which it operates. |
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