Nevertheless, in Point 2, we are aiming to solidify the business foundation of our company. Improving our organization to secure stable profitability is the most important task at hand. This philosophy, formulated when the company was founded, means that the starting point or basis of all our corporate activities must be our customers and where they work. It is the key point from which the Kobelco Construction Machinery Group can grow in the 21st century. Using our technology and capabilities, we have to have the spirit and be prepared to meet any demand from our customers.
Customer satisfaction is the starting point of our business.
In other words, hints on developing our business lie at users' sites. We must ensure that smug self-satisfaction on the manufacturer's side must not come first and that this principle becomes firmly established throughout Kobelco. Since the bursting of the bubble economy in the early 1990s, the construction equipment business has been undergoing major changes. Domestic demand has sharply declined, public works projects have come under review, the rental business has been increasing, and the special machinery business has been growing. The environmental issue has two aspects.