KOBASHI Group] The Evolution of Local Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises through the Shift to Knowledge Manufacturing / A Fusion of Philosophy, Speed, History, and Innovation. The "way of seeing things" has completely changed.

Top management’s decision-making is essential for organizational change. However, without the efforts of the employees on the front lines, the organization cannot truly change. An agricultural machinery manufacturer founded in 1910,Kobashi Industriesbased in Okayama, a subsidiary ofKOBASHI GroupSince Shojiro Kobashi, the fourth-generation president, took office in 2016, the company has continued to launch a series of initiatives that are redefining the image of regional small and medium-sized enterprises. So how do KOBASHI’s employees perceive this shift within their company, how have they responded, and how have they ultimately changed as a result? Two homegrown employees working on the front lines of this transformation shared their candid thoughts with one another.

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Executive Officer, Development Department, Kobashi Industries, Inc.　Mr. Kiminori Nakatani
He joined Kobashi Industries, Ltd. as a new graduate in 2000 and, as an engineer, developed numerous new agricultural machinery products, such as cultivator tines and rotary tillers. In 2018, he joined the Tokyo Research Laboratory and subsequently served as Director of the President’s Office at KOBASHI HOLDINGS, Inc. In 2020, he participated in the launch of KOBASHI ROBOTICS Co., Ltd. and subsequently served as General Manager of the Manufacturing Support Department. In 2022, he was appointed Executive Officer of the Development Department at Kobashi Industries, where he is engaged in the development of new agricultural machinery products.

KOBASHI ROBOTICS, Inc., Knowledge Production Department, Specialist　Mr. Koji Ikeda
In 1998, he joined Kobashi Industries Co., Ltd. as a new graduate and, as an engineer, developed numerous technologies that were firsts in the agricultural industry. He gained experience in product planning, proof-of-concept development, mass-production development, mass production, and sales support for products such as automatic ridge-forming machines, vegetable harvesters, and wireless remote controls with voice guidance. He has also received an invention award. In 2018, I joined the Tokyo Research Laboratory and subsequently assumed my current position as a Specialist in the Knowledge Manufacturing Department at KOBASHI ROBOTICS Co., Ltd. I am engaged in startup support activities, including core technology development, mass-production design, cost reduction, and assembly.

Every action we take each day is connected to "cultivating the Earth."

IkedaMr. Nakatani and I both joined the company as new graduates a few years apart, and we’ve now been with the company for over 20 years. We also share a career path, having both worked in the Development Department as designers the entire time. In 2018, we were assigned to the Tokyo Research Laboratory—a research and development hub established within the “Center of Garage,” an incubation facility operated by Ribboness— There, we worked to solve challenges facing the agricultural sector while collaborating with manufacturing startups from around the world and small local factories across Japan. We were also assigned to the Tokyo Research Institute—a research and development hub established in 2018—and together took on the challenge of “zero-to-one” manufacturing, a departure from Kobashi Industries’ traditional approach.

NakataniBoth were founded in 2020.KOBASHI ROBOTICSYou’re also one of the founding members of ROBOTICS, Inc. (hereinafter “ROBOTICS”; the company provides a next-generation manufacturing platform service that comprehensively supports every stage of the manufacturing process—from prototyping and development to mass production and maintenance—using the expertise and resources KOBASHI has cultivated as a manufacturer). After that, Mr. Ikeda remained at ROBOTICS, while I returned to the Development Department.

IkedaWe’ve both gone through some truly dizzying changes over the past few years, haven’t we?

NakataniI feel like I’ve become a completely different person from who I used to be. It’s that feeling of running full steam ahead and then realizing, “Before I knew it, I’d changed.”

IkedaIt’s exactly the same. If I had to name one specific catalyst, it would be the current president taking office. The strong message that “while preserving our history is important, we must change for the sake of the future” has really taken root throughout the entire company.

NakataniThe symbol of this is the philosophy of “cultivating the Earth.” Before it was redefined, the phrase “replacing manual labor by farmers with machinery” was so directly tied to our day-to-day operations that, to be honest, we didn’t really think deeply about its meaning. However, since switching to our current philosophy, I’ve found myself reflecting on it repeatedly in everything I do. That’s because, even though I understand the importance of the “Cultivating the Earth” philosophy, translating it into concrete work is truly difficult—and there’s no single, clear-cut answer. Now, I constantly ask myself, “Is this project truly ‘Cultivating the Earth’?”

Ikeda　I, too, find that my daily actions are naturally guided by our mission statement. For example, even when I’m looking for information, I unconsciously adopt the perspective of asking, “Will this help solve the Earth’s problems?” I feel that this redefined mission statement has changed my behavior and broadened my perspective.

Nakatani　That’s right. Since it’s a phrase that can be interpreted in many ways, it took me a while to fully grasp what it meant—to think, “Oh, I see—that’s what it’s about”—but my perspective has definitely changed. I think the same is true for the company as a whole. As proof of that, when I interact with people from other companies at industry association meetings, I find myself thinking, “Ah, that’s how it used to be,” or “We were thinking about agriculture, but we weren’t thinking about the planet.”

Ikeda　I think I understand. Not that what I did before was wrong, though.

Nakatani　As our philosophy changed, so did my perspective. My approach to work shifted through my experiences at the Tokyo Research Laboratory and in the ROBOTICS division, and startups became part of my daily interactions. As my horizons gradually broadened in this way, I found that—before I even realized it—I had developed a completely different “way of seeing things” than before. Although the extent varies from person to person, this same transformation is happening to every employee at KOBASHI today. Since the company name and our business operations remain essentially the same, it may not appear to have changed much from the outside, but in reality, the mindset of every employee has shifted. It has truly become a completely different company from what it used to be.

Let's rediscover the mindset of exploring challenges from scratch

Nakatani　Aside from redefining our philosophy, what really left a strong impression on me was, of course, the Tokyo Research Institute. With the support of Ribane, those were a few years during which we threw ourselves wholeheartedly into a project to “build something from scratch,” including collaborations with manufacturing startups.

Ikeda　The most striking difference, by far, was the sense of speed. Up until then, my approach had been to “solidify my ideas before moving forward with development,” but at the Tokyo Research Laboratory, the expectation was to “think as you go, just build it, and get things moving as quickly as possible.” It was truly eye-opening.

Nakatani　I was also surprised by the difference in our perceptions regarding startups. From our perspective, “safety first in manufacturing” is common sense. For startups, however, that’s not necessarily the case—because they’re in a phase where speed is the top priority. That was both a shock and a fresh learning experience. It was only by stepping outside of KOBASHI that we were able to gain so many insights into both our weaknesses and our strengths.

Ikeda　I feel that our past hit products were born precisely because we explored user challenges from scratch. KOBASHI used to have several such products, and they have become the industry standard today. To create our next hit product, I believe we need to once again “explore challenges from scratch.”

Nakatani　To begin with, the development and design processes—especially in the early phases—have an aspect where “it’s all about churning out results.” After working at the Tokyo Research Laboratory and ROBOTICS, when I returned to lead the Development Department, the first thing I did was get the team to shift their mindset and understand the importance of speed. However, I couldn’t simply impose the perspective I’d cultivated through my experiences outside the company directly on the organization. I proceeded by carefully striking a balance, always mindful that my assumptions differed from those of my team members. As a result, it’s true that, unfortunately, some people were unable to keep up with the changes. Overall, though, I feel that the number of team members who can think proactively has increased significantly.

Ikeda　On the other hand, ROBOTICS—the division I belong to—is an organization within the group specifically dedicated to embodying the new philosophy of “cultivating the Earth,” and it has more new hires than long-time employees. Because they’re so eager to reshape KOBASHI based on their past experiences, I, as a long-time employee, find myself completely outnumbered (laughs). I share that passion, but at the same time, KOBASHI has cultivated many strengths, a unique culture, established systems, and many positive aspects over the years. I see my role as preserving those while blending our history with innovation. For better or worse, clashes of values are bound to happen, and it’s true that there’s always some internal conflict. Even so, I want to use that very conflict to create new value and new knowledge.

Nakatani　Organizational transformation isn’t as simple as “just making changes,” is it? Even so, I’m convinced that KOBASHI can pull it off. Earlier, I mentioned that we “learned the importance of speed from scratch,” but even in the past, we moved quickly as long as the challenge was clear. After all, we’re a company that has spent 100 years building up the “manufacturing prowess” to rapidly iterate through trial and error. And this time, too, we face a challenge that is, in a sense, clear: “We must change.” We should be able to move with a sense of urgency to resolve this.

Ikeda　Exactly. To put it another way, we have a tremendous sense of unity. It’s a sense of connection that cuts across the entire organization—a sense of togetherness, or perhaps a shared purpose. And thankfully, our external partners also understand this and are supporting us. I truly believe that’s a major strength.

Nakatani　Yes, there’s a strong sense of unity at KOBASHI, including our partner companies. Moving forward, let’s work together as one to tackle the major challenge of “cultivating the Earth.”

IkedaYeah, let's do it!