ADVERTISING FEATURE
Brother:
100 YEARS YOUNG
100 years of operation in Japan, 50 years of operation in Europe and still delivering innovation
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t would be tempting for Brother to spend 2008 thinking a lot about the past. The company is, after all, celebrating two auspicious anniversaries – its 100th birthday and its 50th anniversary in Europe. But Brother, a leading brand in products from cutting-edge printing solutions to domestic sewing machines, is instead eyeing a bright future. Indeed, Brother is viewing its 100th anniversary as a major launch pad for growth. It has set a target of one trillion yen in net sales and 100 billion yen in operating income by March 2013. Maximising its core print and solutions business and developing and expanding new businesses will be key. Brother’s Representative Director and President, Mr Toshikazu Koike, is sanguine about current economic challenges. “Brother is the perfect choice in the current environment,” he says. “Customers know Brother products provide true value in terms of price, features, quality and ease of use. Our longevity
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is a key strength at a time when people are cautious about the products they buy.” Founded in 1908 in Japan by the Yasui family, Brother has since expanded and diversified hugely. It now has over 24,000 employees worldwide, 19 production sites, and 43 sales sites in 40 countries and regions around the world. In the year to March 2008, Brother achieved consolidated global sales of 566.4 billion yen (approximately 3,500 million euros). Europe has been a chief engine of growth for the company ever since it established its first European office in Dublin, Ireland in 1958. Growth since then has been steady and impressive with Europe now accounting for 34% of worldwide Brother sales. The company has over 1,800 employees in 22 offices and three production facilities across Europe. “Western Europe is a mature market that is growing at up to 7% a year,” says Mr Koike. “But in newer emerging markets in
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