Since our founding in 1885, the 18th year of the Meiji era, we have been committed to manufacturing pots and kettles, continuously striving to create products that not only meet but exceed our customers’ expectations. However, despite more than a century of producing tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of products, we realized that we had yet to fully embrace the customer's perspective in a meaningful way. This was mainly because, in the world of commercial kitchen equipment, we couldn’t experience daily usage unless we were actively involved in kitchen operations.
To bridge this gap, we ventured into the school meal service business to understand the firsthand the challenges of daily meal preparation and the numerous issues faced by kitchen staff. I personally worked in our company's meal service center for a year and deeply felt the impact of equipment failure on operations.
After my stint in the meal service center, I was once told by a sales dealer, "Hattori, why not make kettles that break down after seven or eight years? It would be more profitable for you as they would need replacing." Whether it was a joke or not, it infuriated me as it was a perspective that completely disregarded the actual kitchen environment.
Our mission is to bring "the joy of food to people." The products and services delivered by Hattori Industries must be durable, valuable, and truly beneficial. We believe this commitment is our way of giving back to the culinary professionals who have chosen our products for over 140 years.
We acknowledge that there are still issues with our products that can cause inconvenience, which remains a significant challenge for us. However, I know of a kettle that has been in use for 48 years—older than I am, born in 1986. As the CEO, seeing our products serve our customers well for so long brings me immense joy.
As we continue striving to create valuable products, we also aim to become a "kitchen concierge" that solves various kitchen problems, working in coordination with our group companies. We remain committed to our endless challenge, advancing step by step towards a better future.
