A newsletter from Sumitomo Electric USA Holdings (SEUHO) | |
Issue #58 (October 29, 2024) | |
Risk Management Committee / Executive Conference of the Americas / Mexico Kaizen Competition / "Wired for a Cure" at JUDD / Award for California battery project / SEL presentation at 3M / Integrated Report 2024 / Compliance liaisons / SEG internships | |
Fall is typically a busy season for intercompany collaboration and this year has been no different. We begin with a look at three recent gatherings of companies in our region, followed by reports on Sumitomo Electric Group activities in the areas of renewable energy and infocommunications. | |
Risk Management Committee meeting | |
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What do cyber attacks, hurricanes, and financial fraud have in common? Other than being things you might hear about on the nightly news, they also pose risks that companies must consider in order to keep business running as usual. Each was discussed at the Risk Management Committee's meeting on October 17. The meeting was held in Chicago and attended either in-person or online by the risk managers of around 15 SEG companies in the Americas.
Among the other topics brought up for discussion were two types of reviews that companies perform regularly. One is an annual risk inventory, which helps identify the risks that are most likely to occur and have the biggest impact on operations. The other is an annual review of business continuity plans, which describe procedures to follow if a significant disruption were to occur. Reviews like these are two examples of best practices adopted worldwide by Sumitomo Electric Group companies.
Joining this event for the first time was SEUHO's new Executive Vice President Hiroki Sawa, who spent the past four-plus years in SEI's Compliance & Risk Management Office. Sawa-san said, "All the attendees actively participated and made constructive suggestions. I was very impressed by the high level of motivation of the committee members."
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From left: Gaku Un (SCI), Yuichi Sano (SEUHO), Yoshimitsu Goto (ICS), Erick Diaz (SEMX), Hiroki Sawa (SEUHO), Dan Pemberton (SCM), Jessica Kunes (KPMC), Brian Burr (SEUHO), Ruben Soto (SEIP), Marty Todd (SEUHO), Martin Daniell (JUDD), Leo Kohyama (SEUHO), Roger Showalter (NIRE). Several others attended the meeting online. | |
Executive Conference of the Americas | |
When it comes to bringing together SEG companies, no event in our region surpasses the Sumitomo Electric Executive Conference of the Americas (SEECA). This year's conference was held in Bowling Green, Kentucky, on September 9 and 10. It was attended by 30 company presidents, more than 35 senior executives and managers, and the representatives of intercompany committees in the US and Mexico.
The two days were as packed with information as time allowed. More than a dozen companies gave presentations about the current state of their businesses and their near-term plans for growth; each committee spoke about their recent work and what they will focus on next; and a panel discussion on the theme of "high-value activities in the Americas” made it clear to all that talent development and sales projects are high priorities in our region.
SEI President Osamu Inoue wrote about the event on his blog, saying that "every time I attend this conference, I feel the forward momentum of activities in the region. I hope that the Americas companies will continue to work together to meet whatever challenges come their way due to changes in their business environment."
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Following the conference, some attendees joined President Inoue (front row, sixth from right) on a tour of Sumitomo Electric Wiring Systems' Franklin Plant, where connectors for automotive wiring are manufactured. SEWS was the host company of SEECA 2024. | |
Mexico Kaizen Competition | |
A few weeks before SEECA, more than 100 employees from several manufacturing companies attended the Mexico Kaizen Competition in Torreon to hear about the 14 best kaizen (continuous improvement) projects from around the country. Each kaizen team presented an overview of the project they did over the past year. The teams explained why they chose their particular problem, how they identified their problem's major cause, what countermeasures they took, and ultimately what was achieved in terms of promoting safety, improving quality, saving costs, eliminating waste, etc.
Being a competition, each project was evaluated by a panel of judges from various companies. The highest score in the manufacturing category was earned by the team from ATR Laguna, who got to take home the coveted "cutting edge" award (a traditional sword) to display at their plant until next year. Winning first prize in the other two competition categories, indirect and J-katsu, were teams from T&S Design and T&S Legal, respectively.
A report on the event noted that the Mexico Kaizen Competition seeks to "integrate all levels of the organization and promote the culture of continuous improvement." This year's edition delivered on that promise not only to SEG companies in Mexico, but also to the participants from Sumidenso do Brasil and Sumidenso Paraguay who attended online.
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Photo: The winning team from ATR Laguna poses with executives. At right is the first-place trophy, decorated with a traditional sword plus the flags of Mexico and Japan. | |
Breast cancer awareness at Judd Wire | |
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Turning to events that took place outside our organization, last Sunday a team of Judd Wire joined 15,000 people in Springfield, Massachusetts, in a charity run/walk to raise funds for breast cancer care, research, and education. The team's participation was the culmination of a month-long breast cancer awareness program at Judd Wire that included activities such as a competition among shifts to create an informative bulletin board with various breast cancer facts, a donation of hats and head scarves for patients undergoing chemotherapy, and a scavenger hunt for pink ribbons in exchange for small prizes.
At Sunday's run/walk event, the Judd Wire team ("Wired for a Cure") raised more than $3,500 for a local breast cancer charity. Thanks to the generosity of employees and their families and friends, Judd Wire's fundraising total was the ninth highest of the 220 teams that participated. Congratulations to everyone at Judd Wire for their strong support of such an important cause!
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Award for California battery project | |
Earlier this month, Sumitomo Electric received an award from the International Smart Grid Action Network (ISGAN) in recognition of a multi-year demonstration project that showcased our redox flow battery technology.
A redox flow battery is a large-scale battery, the size of a shipping container, that's designed to store electricity generated from renewable sources, such as solar or wind power, for an extended period of time. One advantage that Sumitomo Electric's redox flow battery has over conventional lithium-ion batteries is that it uses a non-flammable electrolyte, which is a key factor in ensuring safety.
In the demonstration project recognized by ISGAN (pictured above), multiple redox flow batteries were connected to an actual power grid operated in San Diego, California, by the local utility company. The battery system provided stable, reliable service throughout the six-year term of the project, which proved to industry experts that redox flow batteries from Sumitomo Electric can contribute in a meaningful way to the expansion of renewable energy in North America.
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Third from left: Shigeru Kawabata, President of Sumitomo Electric USA, accepted the award from ISGAN at a clean energy conference in Brazil on October 2. | |
If you'd like to learn more about the redox flow battery, we recommend this feature article in SEI's id magazine. The article is titled "Supporting Renewable Energy: The Mission of Redox Flow Energy Storage Batteries." | |
SEL Chairman at 3M town hall | |
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Another area of the economy where the Sumitomo Electric Group has a big impact is digital communications, as we are a major supplier of high-end fiber optic cable to some of the world's largest data centers. Interested in getting our perspective on the data center market, 3M invited Yoshiyuki Suetsugu, Chairman and CEO of Sumitomo Electric Lightwave, to speak at a town hall meeting at their headquarters in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on September 23.
Like Sumitomo Electric, 3M is a huge organization that's involved in a variety of industries. The audience for Suetsugu-san's presentation was 3M's electronics division, whose members wanted to know how data center business is expected to grow due to the ongoing boom in artificial intelligence as well as other factors. Suetsugu-san covered a lot of ground, and he spoke not only about the future but also a bit about the past — for instance, many in the audience were surprised to hear that 3M and Sumitomo Electric have a relationship that goes back more than 60 years! Suetsugu-san's talk received high praise from attendees.
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On October 3, SEI announced the publication of this year's Integrated Report, a wide-ranging presentation of the Sumitomo Electric Group's management principles and our many initiatives to enhance corporate value through business activities around the world.
If you've ever wondered about the scope of SEG business, what we develop and manufacture for different markets, or what sorts of things we do in environmental management and community engagement, then this report is well worth a look. Other topics include the Sumitomo Spirit, a historical timeline of the organization, growth strategies by business segment, human resource development, corporate governance, financial data, and more.
The Integrated Report 2024 can be downloaded from this page on SEI's website.
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In the last newsletter, we looked at the basics of the Sumitomo Electric Group compliance program. I noted there that several resources are available for employees to seek guidance and report any ethical, compliance, or legal concerns. The first, and most direct, resource is always your supervisor. However, there are other resources available, including Human Resources, SEUHO Legal, our global hotline, and your compliance liaison.
The compliance liaison program was organized to provide an on-the-ground compliance issue resource at our many companies in the Americas. Each company president chooses an employee to serve as the compliance liaison, and in some cases the deputy compliance liaison. That person is then known within the company as an immediate resource for employees to go to for any compliance concerns or questions.
The compliance liaisons work in partnership with SEUHO Legal to assist in the answering of employee questions and concerns. Julia Fauzia-Whatley and I also meet with the compliance liaisons bimonthly, and during these meetings we provide training on various compliance topics and policies.
I want to thank the compliance liaisons for agreeing to serve in this role, and for all of the work that they do in this position. They are an indispensable part of our overall compliance program.
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Internships are a great way for young people to gain firsthand experience in a field they are interested in. We're happy to report here about two successful programs within the SEG, one at SumiRiko Ohio and the other at SEI.
The program at SumiRiko Ohio encompasses four departments: Accounting, HR, IT, and Production Planning. Each intern helps with projects that improve company processes. For example, IT intern Adam Calvelage worked on a training program that lets new associates practice a curing process in virtual reality before they begin their actual on-the-job training. Adam says the internship has given him "practical skills and real-world knowledge that will be invaluable for my career."
Positive feelings like this extend beyond the projects and toward the company itself. "The SRK team is very supportive, which makes it easier to ask questions and learn," said Ian Ackenhausen (Accounting). "I was warmly welcomed by a team that seemed like a family and never ceased to be so supportive," said Tareq Abuhalima (Production Planning).
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Participants in SEI's Global Internship Program are equally enthusiastic about their experiences, which they have shared in interviews published here. This program offers university students an opportunity to work in Japan for 10 weeks during the summer at SEI headquarters or one of SEI's research & development units. Since the program's inception in 2012, more than a hundred students from around the world have participated. They have benefited from the work experience and from the chance to dive into Japanese culture and build friendships with fellow interns from other countries.
SEI will begin accepting applications for next year's edition of the program in early January, so if you know anyone who might be interested, please let them know! The 2025 program is sure to be special as interns will also get to visit the Expo world's fair taking place in Osaka at the time of the internship.
An overview of the SEI Global Internship Program can be found on this page.
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Many thanks to this issue's contributors: Megan Hatchett (SEWS); Henry Garcia (T&S); Chelsey Bedaw (JUDD); Hayato Yoshida (SEI); Kotaro Namba (SEUSA); Kevin Mistele (SEL); Veronica Peterson (SRK-OH); Michael Whitlock, Pavee Suvagondha (SEUHO). | |
The Sumitomo Electric Group, in accordance with the Sumitomo Spirit and the Sumitomo Electric Group Corporate Principles, strives to be a group of companies worthy of society's trust by conducting our business activities with utmost integrity. To learn more about our corporate philosophy, click here.
The SEG Code of Conduct is a statement of our shared values and the standards of conduct that are expected of each of us. It describes the fundamental principles and key policies that govern how we conduct business. The Code applies to all Company employees, officers, and directors, at every level. To download a copy of the Code, click here.
The SEG Compliance Hotline is an anonymous, confidential reporting system maintained by an independent third party, Navex, who immediately refers all hotline reports to SEI's Compliance and Risk Management Office. Please note that the SEG prohibits retaliation against anyone who reports concerns or raises questions in good faith. To access the hotline, click here. | |
This newsletter is published for employees of Sumitomo Electric Group companies in the Americas by Sumitomo Electric USA Holdings (SEUHO). To send us your thoughts, please use this online survey or send us an email. Thank you for reading this newsletter. | | | | |
