Message from the President

Paper, and beyond

The Japan Pulp & Paper Group is currently responding to the shifting business climate in each of its segments. In its core Japan Wholesaling segment, the Group is seeking to further develop the business and boost efficiency, while in Paper Manufacturing & Processing, it is pushing ahead with strengthening its production bases. In Resources & Environment it is moving forward with the stable operation of the renewable energy power generation business and with expanding its wastepaper recycling operation sites. In Non-Japan Wholesaling, the Group is further enhancing its global network through measures including M&A in the Oceania region, and in Real Estate Leasing it is seeking to improve earnings power through effective asset utilization.

The Group has also made full-fledged forays into the ICT field, an area that includes artificial intelligence (AI) and Rapid Application Development (RAD), and is starting to build platforms in preparation for the dawning “automated society.”

Our basic direction under the Group Medium-term Business Plan 2019, launched in April 2017, is to enhance individual business segments as described above to ensure stable profits. We are planning to achieve ordinary income of 13 billion yen by the final year of this business plan.

The Japan Pulp & Paper Group’s involvement with the paper supply business has spanned 172 years since its founding. We consider it our mission to draw on the know-how cultivated during that time to carve a better future for society and the environment.

Under the banner of our newly adopted OVOL Group brand, we will pull together to achieve that mission, valuing integrity, fairness, and harmony as we change, challenge, and create.

I would like to ask for your ongoing support and encouragement for the Japan Pulp & Paper Group’s endeavors in the years to come.

Akihiko Watanabe
President
October 2017