Altech
Basic Information
- Stock Code
- 9972
- Industry
- Wholesale
- Category Detail
- Building Materials, Electrical Equipment & Metal Wholesalers
- Prefecture
- Tokyo
- Establishment Year
- May 1976
- Listing Year
- May 1994
- Official Website
- https://www.altech.co.jp/
- TSE Information
- TSE Information
- Yahoo! Finance
- Yahoo! Finance
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Overview
Altech is a specialist industrial machinery trading company founded in 1976 and based in Chuo-ku, Tokyo, with PET bottle raw materials and 3D printers as its mainstays, operating both domestically and internationally.
Current Situation
As of 2024, Altech has consolidated sales of approximately 16 billion yen, centered on the wholesale and manufacturing of special industrial machinery. It provides a diverse range of products including packaging machines, 3D printers, digital photo printers, and antistatic agents, with subsidiaries in Japan and overseas, manufacturing bases in China, Thailand, and Indonesia, and is strengthening its Asian market presence. In recent years, it has partnered with Japan GLP to sell and lease logistics autonomous transport robots and begun importing electric buses from Turkey, expanding into new business areas. Amid past performance fluctuations, it is focusing on restructuring and efficiency improvements through absorption mergers of consolidated subsidiaries to achieve sustainable black ink turnaround. For sustainability, it aims to boost productivity via new materials business expansion and automation investments. From 2025 onward, it plans to enhance competitiveness through Asian manufacturing reinforcement and new technology adoption, advancing business diversification for sustained growth.
Trivia
Interesting Facts
- Initially focused on import sales of packaging container manufacturing equipment
- Recorded major losses in 2006 but swiftly returned to profitability
- One of few trading companies handling advanced logistics robots via partnership with Japan GLP
- Electric bus sales based on partnerships with non-Japanese Asian manufacturers
- Absorbed and merged four subsidiaries in 2008 to complete business reorganization
- Established production subsidiaries in Thailand and Indonesia to strengthen Asian strategy
- Integrates latest IT equipment with industrial machinery in product lineup
- Management inherited across multiple generations from founder
- Historically repeated spin-offs and integrations of related companies
- Unique handling of new materials with strong individual color among industrial machinery wholesalers
Hidden Connections
- Close collaboration with logistics giant Japan GLP to build quasi-monopolistic market position
- Pioneering exclusive sales agreement in Japan with Turkish commercial electric bus manufacturer
- Fuses domestic foundation with overseas production via subsidiaries in multiple Asian countries
- Japan's sole company with exclusive rights to sell Clearpath Robotics products from Canada
- Advances growth strategy in collaboration with subsidiaries like formerly spun-off ARS
- Provides implementation support and maintenance for special 3D printers to major Japanese manufacturers
Future Outlook
Growth Drivers
- Enhancement and efficiency of Asian manufacturing bases
- Expansion of autonomous logistics transport robot market
- Growing demand for eco-friendly products and electric buses
- Promotion of industrial 3D printer adoption
- Growth in domestic and international packaging markets
- Manufacturing support leveraging AI and IoT
- B2B new customer expansion
- Focus on sustainable materials development
- Electrification of public transport infrastructure
- Business development in emerging markets
Strategic Goals
- Achieve over 50% sales ratio in Asia
- Secure top domestic share in logistics automation equipment
- Over 40% sales ratio from eco-friendly products
- New businesses accounting for 20% of total sales
- 30% improvement in internal productivity
- Establishment of sustainable management framework
- Maintain ordinary income margin over 10%
- Strengthen global partnerships
- Achieve over 90% employee satisfaction
- Advance long-term investments in EV and environmental technologies
Business Segments
Industrial Machinery Wholesale for Manufacturing
- Overview
- Wholesales industrial machinery and materials to manufacturers, supporting diverse production sites.
- Competitiveness
- Handling of diverse special industrial machinery and strong domestic market adaptation for overseas products
- Customers
-
- Packaging machinery manufacturers
- Food manufacturers
- Cosmetics manufacturers
- Plastic molding companies
- DVD media manufacturers
- Products
-
- Packaging container manufacturing machines
- 3D printers
- Antistatic agents
- DVD case manufacturing machines
New Materials Manufacturing and Sales
- Overview
- Provides synthetic resin products and intermediate materials through in-house subsidiary manufacturing and wholesale.
- Competitiveness
- Raw material procurement and quality control leveraging Asian bases
- Customers
-
- Beverage manufacturers
- Manufacturing intermediate material producers
- Chemical product manufacturers
- Products
-
- PET bottle preforms
- Synthetic resin products
- Antistatic agents
Logistics and Automation Equipment Sales
- Overview
- Provides cutting-edge autonomous transport robots to logistics sites at special prices.
- Competitiveness
- Exclusive domestic sales rights for overseas advanced technologies
- Customers
-
- Logistics companies
- Warehouse operators
- Manufacturing plants
- Products
-
- Autonomous mobile transport robots
- Labor-saving logistics equipment
Commercial Vehicle Sales and Maintenance
- Overview
- Import sales of Turkish electric buses and provision of inspection and maintenance services.
- Competitiveness
- Strategic partnerships with major Japanese firms for market research and support
- Customers
-
- Public transportation operators
- Corporate fleet departments
- Products
-
- Compact electric buses
- Vehicle maintenance services
R&D Support Services
- Overview
- Provides support services for utilizing advanced technologies such as 3D printers.
- Competitiveness
- Implementation know-how and technical support unique to specialist trading companies
- Customers
-
- Manufacturing R&D departments
- Educational institutions
- Prototype model workshops
- Products
-
- 3D printer implementation support
- Prototype processing and design support
Overseas Market Development Support
- Overview
- Supports overseas expansion leveraging manufacturing networks in China, Thailand, and Indonesia.
- Competitiveness
- Leveraging networks specialized in Asian markets
- Customers
-
- SMEs in manufacturing
- Export businesses
- Products
-
- Utilization of Asian manufacturing subsidiaries
- Trade-related services
Competitive Advantage
Strengths
- Diverse industrial machinery product lineup
- Ownership of domestic and international manufacturing bases
- Expertise in special machinery fields
- Strong overseas partner collaborations
- Aggressive expansion into new business areas
- Partnerships with major logistics industry players
- Long track record and trust in the industry
- Quality control via in-house manufacturing subsidiaries
- Secured multinational customer base
- Promotion of latest technology adoption
Competitive Advantages
- Early adoption of latest technologies like 3D printers
- Manufacturing subsidiaries in China and Southeast Asia
- Exclusive Japanese agency rights for logistics automation equipment
- Product portfolio adaptable to diverse industries
- Domestic rollout of electric buses for public transport
- Comprehensive technical support unmatched by competitors
- Fundamental management improvements for long-term profitability
- Customer-centric services as a specialist trading company
- Market development through local company collaborations
- Expansion of environmentally considerate products and services
Threats
- Intensifying price competition with emerging countries
- Risk of rising raw material prices
- Increased compliance costs due to stricter environmental regulations
- Demand decline from global economic uncertainty
- Competitor advances in new technology development
- Impact of international trade frictions
- Damage to production bases from natural disasters
- Earnings volatility from exchange rate fluctuations
- Logistics delays and labor shortages
- Rise of new market entrants
Innovations
2023: Launch of Turkish-made electric bus e-JEST sales in Japan
- Overview
- Began sales in Japan of European-spec small non-step electric buses to drive industry innovation.
- Impact
- New market development and provision of eco-friendly products
2022: Launch of OTTO autonomous transport robot sales and leasing services
- Overview
- Partnered with major logistics firm to roll out autonomous mobile transport robots in the Japanese market.
- Impact
- Contributes to logistics automation and labor reduction
2021: Enhancement of Chinese manufacturing subsidiary production capacity
- Overview
- Significant improvement in manufacturing efficiency through equipment upgrades at bases in Suzhou, Guangzhou, etc.
- Impact
- Achieved manufacturing cost reductions and shorter delivery times
2020: Expansion of 3D printer sales agency network
- Overview
- Strengthened domestic sales structure for Stratasys 3D printers to meet prototyping demand.
- Impact
- Market share expansion and strengthened technology connections
Sustainability
- Reduction of environmental impact at Asian manufacturing subsidiaries
- Promotion of energy-efficient industrial machinery
- Support for CO2 emission reductions via logistics robots
- Market introduction of eco-friendly electric buses
- Active utilization of recycled materials
- Promotion of ISO14001 certification acquisition
- Environmental education support as social contribution activities
- Expansion of environmentally considerate product lineup
- Joint environmental impact reductions with business partners
- Building of sustainable business operations framework