Magazine​

One of Archem Business Japan 's core locations is the Nabari Plant (Mie Prefecture). In this historic area surrounded by mountains, employees with diverse backgrounds are leveraging their expertise to create a better work environment and reform business processes.
In the first part, we bring you a roundtable interview with three people who are active on the front lines of back-office work (HR, accounting, safety management, etc.) that supports the factory and organization! They will talk in a friendly and relaxed manner about the culture of the Nabari factory, the joys of working there, and the real appeal of working here.

[Participants in the roundtable discussion] (from left)

• Takashi Umezaki: Safety, Disaster Prevention, and Environment Department (Joined the company in 2019)
  • I joined the company mid-career, seven years ago. Coming from a liberal arts background, I ventured into the safety, disaster prevention, and environmental departments. I dedicated myself to integrating safety and disaster prevention rules across all group factories and ensuring their widespread adoption.
• Shuhei Minami: Finance and Accounting Department (Rejoined the company in 2025)
  • Originally from Nabari City. After changing jobs once, I rejoined the company because I was drawn to the friendly atmosphere of my colleagues. I am currently promoting the acceleration of financial closing through DX (digital transformation) in accounting operations.
• Akira Iwai: Human Resources and Labor Relations Department (Joined the company as a new graduate in 2016)
  • I'm in my tenth year with the company. I'm in charge of all aspects of human resources and labor relations, and I'm also playing a central role in the group-wide integration project for attendance and HR systems. I transferred from Shinagawa to Nabari this spring.

| Modest but warm once you get to know them. The culture and workplace charm of Nabari, the "hidden village."

—Hello everyone, thank you for joining us today. First, I'd like to ask about your impressions of the Nabari area, where this Nabari factory is located, and its local culture.

Umezaki-san: There's a theory that Nabari comes from the old Japanese verb "nabaru," which means "to hide" or "to seclude oneself inside so as not to be seen" (the hidden village theory).

—I've never heard of that before! I hear that the Iga-Nabari region is famous as a ninja village. Does that regional characteristic show up in the workplace atmosphere?

Iwai: That's right. People in Nabari might initially come across as a little reserved and humble. But once you get to know them, they have a culture of warmly welcoming you like family. Even new employees or people like me who have transferred from other locations can easily fit in without feeling any barriers.

Minami: Absolutely! I'm from Nabari, my hometown, and after working for a company in another prefecture, when I came back to Nabari, I was reminded once again of how calm and kind everyone is. It's easy to get to Osaka and Nagoya, making it a comfortable place to live, and I feel it's a great environment to work in as well.

—I believe that a warm workplace atmosphere stems from daily communication. Are there many opportunities for interaction in the cafeteria and at company events?

Umezaki: The cafeteria is truly a place to relax. Confirmations that tend to be stiff and formal when done via email can be easily discussed during lunch, like, "By the way, what's the status of that matter?" It's an important lubricant that transcends departmental boundaries.

Iwai: We also have recreational events organized by the labor union, such as clam digging, which are open to union members and their families. I feel that these kinds of informal interactions outside of work contribute to teamwork when we're working together on-site.

The cafeteria is used by many people during lunchtime. It is open to all employees.

| "From liberal arts graduates and those with no experience to professionals" - A path in safety, disaster prevention, and environmental protection that values on-site satisfaction.

—Now, let's delve deeper into your work.
First up is Ms. Umezaki from the Safety, Disaster Prevention, and Environment Department. She joined the company in 2019 and is currently taking on the important task of integrating safety rules across all of the group's factories.

Umezaki: Yes. My role is to consolidate the rules of each factory, which have different histories and manufactured products, and to build a robust safety, security, and environmental governance system at the company-wide level.

—Unifying the rules across locations with different cultures seems incredibly difficult…

Umezaki: It's very difficult. There are safety rules that have been the foundation of safety in each factory for many years, and if you unilaterally impose them from above by saying, "Starting tomorrow, follow these rules," they will become meaningless if the people on the ground are not convinced, and you won't be able to truly protect safety. How do you get people on the ground to understand the situation and feel convinced? That's where I spend the most energy. I engage in thorough dialogue and ask them to "try it out once first" and actually put it into practice on the factory floor.

—It must be a painstaking process to gain the understanding of everyone on site.

Umezaki: That's right. That's why, when I later heard from people on site saying, "The new rules are easy to use!", I was very happy.

Actually, I come from a liberal arts background and started with zero knowledge. At first, even when I saw the names of the machines, I was like, "How do I use this...?" (laughs). But there were many senior colleagues in my department who were professionals in maintenance and manufacturing, and I was able to grow thanks to their kind guidance. Being able to see the process by which products that support automobiles and industries are created from the sites where we supported safety is a great source of pride for me, even though I come from a liberal arts background.

"This is a place I want to come back to"—Love for my hometown Nabari and the challenge of accounting DX

—Next, we have Ms. Minami from the Finance and Accounting Department 2. Ms. Minami, you "rejoined" Archem in 2025, right? Were there any aspects of Arcem that you noticed because you had previously worked at another company?

Minami: "It's the personalities of everyone" and "the comfortable working environment." The kindness of my superiors and colleagues, and the environment that allowed me to build a career while balancing work and family life, made me want to come back and settle down here.

Umezaki-san: As someone who has known him for a long time, I was really happy when he came back!

Minami: After returning to work, I've been promoting the digital transformation of accounting operations, and I'm particularly working on the important mission of "accelerating monthly closing." Accelerating closing is essential for management to make quick and accurate decisions and to disclose timely information to external parties. So, I reviewed the workflow, identified underutilized functions of the system, and proceeded with automation using custom-made programs. As a result, I was able to shorten the work by one day, and I was also able to share the specific shortening process and results with headquarters.

—Being able to shorten the financial closing schedule by one day is a significant achievement that will strengthen Archem 's management foundation! What do you find interesting about working in accounting?

Minami: What I find interesting about working in accounting at Arcem right now is that I can create the optimal system for the entire Archem by working closely with other departments such as manufacturing and sales. I can improve the workflow itself while honing my own IT skills. I can aim to become an accounting professional who drives change.

I have relationships where I can easily consult with my superiors and other departments.

"Experiencing the excitement of watching a company change" - A HR professional with 10 years of experience since graduating talks about Archem 's challenges

—And now, we have Ms. Iwai from the Human Resources and Labor Relations Department, who is celebrating her 10th year with the company since joining as a new graduate. While handling a wide range of tasks from recruitment and training to labor management, she is also leading a company-wide project to integrate the human resources and attendance systems.

Iwai: Since the merger of Archem Business Japan and Archem Forming Japan in 2024, we have been undergoing a major reform to unify the group's systems and procedures. Working with external vendors on a daily basis, building specifications from scratch and implementing them on-site is a job with great responsibility, but it is also very rewarding.

—Since your work involves building the foundation for the entire company, the scope of impact is huge, which must be challenging. Where does your motivation come from?

Iwai: "We feel like we're creating an environment where employees can focus on more valuable work with our own hands. If we can automate routine manual tasks, HR will be able to spend more time on essential tasks such as recruitment, talent development, and designing more employee-friendly systems. I'm really looking forward to the work ahead, knowing that we'll be able to focus on other new challenges as manual tasks decrease."

—So, you're finding joy in "creating your own rules" rather than "following established rules," right?

Iwai: That's exactly right. Rather than creating something entirely new from scratch, we're in a stage where we're "selecting and optimizing what's truly good" within the existing history and foundation. Because we're not bound by rigid structures, there's a culture where even young employees can raise their hands and be given significant autonomy. I think one of the unique charms of Archem is that you can feel the direct impact of your own growth on the company's growth.

| We resonate with each other because we're the same generation. Building a new future for Archem as a team.

—Listening to you all, even though your areas of responsibility and roles differ—safety, disaster prevention, environment, accounting, and human resources—it's clear that you all share a strong sense of unity and deep respect for one another, stemming from the common, major challenge of "transformation and strengthening the foundation accompanying the group integration." ...Oh, by the way, I just noticed when looking at your pre-interview profiles that you're all actually the same generation, aren't you?!

Umezaki, Minami, and Iwai: What?! Is that true?!

Minami: I can't believe we're all the same age...! I suddenly feel a sense of closeness to you all (laughs).

Umezaki: No wonder we clicked so well. We definitely have to go out for a meal together sometime!

Iwai: Let's definitely go!

—That 's a fantastic development (laughs)! Even though we come from different backgrounds, the fact that we have colleagues who can support and encourage each other like this is a testament to the warm atmosphere at the Nabari factory.

"Let's experience the excitement of building a company together!"

―Finally, could you please give a message to high school and university students who are about to start their job search?

Umezaki: There's absolutely no need to worry just because you have a humanities background or lack specialized knowledge. Our supportive senior staff will give you their full support. Let's create a new history for Archem together in the manufacturing field that supports society!

Minami-san: I can guarantee the warm and friendly relationships at work! It's a place where you can test your abilities regardless of your educational background, experience, or whether you're inexperienced or not. It's definitely a company I would recommend to anyone who wants to work long-term while also valuing their family and private life!

Iwai: Archem is currently in the midst of a period of transformation. For those of you joining us from now on, this is the perfect time to experience firsthand the process of the company changing for the better and to be directly involved. We look forward to working with people who have a strong desire to improve the company with their own hands!

Main entrance of Nabari Factory