Mr. Shin Kageyama is the exclusive partner for Champion Door Oy in Japan. Mr. Kageyama imports Champion Door products as well as other European products through his company, Scandinavia Trading CO., Ltd.
As a market area, Japan is quite special: the local language and business culture can pose new challenges for foreign players.
"Scandinavian products have a very good reputation in Japan. They are seen as quality products with high performance levels. The market has changed in the past couple of decades: customers are now more quality-focused, which means that lower-quality products do not suffice anymore, no matter how inexpensive they may be. This is why there is growing demand for Champion Door in Japan."
According to Mr. Kageyama, Champion Door’s quality stems from the doors’ advanced features. The number-one selling point of the doors is their unlimited size: doors that are 50 meters wide and 30 meters high would be difficult to find from other suppliers. Champion Door doors are also easy to operate with a simple push of a button and require minimal maintenance after installation.
Japanese customers are often interested in the doors’ lifespan and safety features, especially with aircraft hangars. Hangars can store highly expensive aircraft, which means that it is crucial for customers that the hangar doors are secure and, for example, cannot be cut through with a knife. According to Mr. Kageyama, the lengthy lifespan of the doors and their strong, secure material are therefore vital aspects particularly in hangar projects.
"We have discovered that Champion Door products are especially popular for our customers in aviation. We have, for example, replaced heavy steel doors moving on rails with light Champion Door fold-up doors at a large Japanese airport. The products have also proven quite popular in helicopter hangars, for which we believe Champion Door is the number one solution. This is also something we will put strategic emphasis on in the future."
Champion Door and Scandinavia Trading took their first cooperative steps in 2018. Since then, Scandinavia Trading has continued to focus on Champion Door more and more. Mr. Kageyama has been pleased with the partnership: communication between the partners is active, and Champion Door is quick to respond to questions.
"There are also some similarities between our cultures. The Finnish are often described as being quiet, and so are the Japanese. Our business together works very well."
Aino Kotajärvi, Key Account Manager and main contact person for Scandinavia Trading at Champion Door, could not agree more.
"Both cultures have the same way of operating: we focus on what is important and do things with care, precision and high quality. Mr. Kageyama and his team are resilient, proactive and hardworking. Their input is absolutely crucial for our business in Japan."