Our Corporate Communications staff spend time getting to know Sumitomo Corporation's different business sites around the world, reporting on how the people at those sites work. We will keep you up to date with the world of Sumitomo Corporation, which extends to every corner of the globe.
Ayumi Shogase,
Mass Media Relations Team, Corporate Communications Department
Ayumi Shogase joined the Group in 2002. After working in the Broadcasting & Cinema Business Department and the Direct Marketing Department, Shogase was assigned to the Corporate Communications Department in 2008, where she is currently responsible for public relations for the Media, Network & Lifestyle Retail Business Unit. She enjoys good food, Japanese sake, fashion and traveling within Japan, and readily admits to being "not good at saving money and time management."
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In November 2008, two months after the "Lehman shock" and immediately following the presidential election, I traveled across the United States, visiting business sites operated by Sumitomo Corporation of America.
Tire Sales: TBC Corporation
Private brand tires popular at the United States' largest independent tire retailer
Tire replacement service at TBC's retail store, TIRE KINGDOM
TBC Corporation began wholesaling private brand (PB) tires in the 1950s. It expanded into the franchise business in 1996 and direct retailing in 2000, consolidating its foundation by covering both the upstream and downstream tire distribution markets. TBC has approximately 1200 retail outlets in the U.S. selling tires and providing tire replacement and other related services, which makes it the largest independent tire retailer in the United States.
One out of every four or five passenger cars in the United States is fitted with PB tires. Over the past several years, the average age of passenger cars has gotten older and is now at 10.9 years. Owners of used cars, especially third or fourth owners, tend to be highly cost-conscious. Their support for PB tires indicates the underlying strength of the market. Although new car sales in the United States remain stagnant, demand for maintenance and tire replacement services is expected to grow as people update their cars less frequently.
Office buildings acquired in Washington and Miami, where the local economies have stabilized and are expected to grow
SCOA's newly purchased office building (far right) commands views of the bay and is adjacent to a hotel
Sumitomo Corporation of America (SCOA) has a number of real estate interests in the United States. With a particular focus on areas with potential for population and employment growth and expectations of economic expansion, the company strives to maintain a good balance between office and residential buildings.
In 2008, the company added to its portfolio with the purchase of office buildings in the nation's capital Washington D.C., the southeastern state of Arizona, and Miami, Florida. The recently acquired office building at 1750 K Street, Washington D.C. is located in the heart of the city's central business district. With a number of federal government agencies and law firms well established in the neighborhood, the area is less vulnerable to economic fluctuations.
The city of Miami, in the southern part of Florida, is located at the almost the same latitude as Okinawa and has long been a popular tourist resort and vacation home area. In recent years, thanks to its convenient location, the city has also become home to a number of multinational enterprises seeking a gateway to Central and South America. The 34-story Miami Center Building purchased by SCOA is a popular site within the business district. It houses numerous major financial institutions, accounting offices and law firms.
Railroad vehicles delivered to Virginia Railway Express
Will the number of Americans commuting by train increase as eco-awareness spreads?
Majority of railway cars currently in use by Virginia Railway Express have been purchased from Sumitomo
The main modes of transportation in the United States have traditionally been automobiles and airplanes. Recently, however, railroad transportation has been the subject of significant attention as car users encounter serious traffic congestion on the road and air travelers are annoyed by frequent delays, lost baggage, and stringent security. In addition, people are developing a greater awareness of the need for environmental protection.
Rail-based freight transportation has a long history in the United States and freight tracks stretch across the country in a fine mesh. Passenger rail services usually run on the freight railroad system. Sumitomo Corporation of America, in cooperation with Nippon Sharyo, Ltd., has delivered over 800 electric and passenger trains within the United States. Since 2005, it has received orders for more than 70 trains from Virginia Railway Express, which operates two railroad routes connecting the north of the state of Virginia with Washington D.C.
Interior view of the split-level car, which has no flooring between the two levels
These trains, called "gallery cars," have a split-level structure, with no floor paneling between the two levels. Each car is divided by a center aisle, flanked on either side by rows of two seats on the first level and a single seat on the second level. Because there is no floor separating the first and second levels, conductors moving down the aisle can inspect the tickets of the passengers seated in the upper level simply by extending their arms. The cars are clean and let in plenty of light. With comfortable seating and rest rooms in each car, the train cars have been well received.
Most of the passengers using the railway are people commuting to and from work. Trains into the city run from 5 o'clock in the morning and those out start at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, both offering six services every 40 minutes. Unlike trains in Japan, the first train of the day is the most crowded, due to the large number of people who take advantage of flextime to arrive at work early and then leave early in order to spend evenings with their families. There are even requests for an earlier first train departing sometime after 4 am.
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