Fuji Kiko Co., Ltd. Business Report FY2009

Business Highlights

Financial Overview

(in millions of JPY)
  FY2009 FY2008 Rate of
Change(%)
Factors
Overall
Sales 84,681 92,943 (8.9) -Despite steady growth in Asia, especially in China, sales were affected by declining production volumes at customers in Japan, North America and Europe.
Operating income 2,636 (2,213) - -
Ordinary income 2,294 (3,600) - -
Current net income 1,180 (3,720) - -
Steering parts business
Sales 40,365 42,386 (4.8) -
Operating income 1,460 (2,343) - -
Seat parts business
Sales 30,102 33,678 (10.6) -
Operating income 506 (97) - -
Shifter parts business
Sales 6,128 7,144 (14.2) -
Operating income 642 99 545.7 -
Engine parts business
Sales 5,120 5,301 (3.4) -
Operating income 249 102 144.1 -
Parts for large vehicles business
Sales 817 1,338 (38.9) -
Operating income (78) 54 - -
Other automotive components business
Sales 716 1,063 (32.6) -
Operating income (3) (37) - -

>>>Financial Forecast for the Next Fiscal Year (Sales, Operating Income etc.)

R&D

R&D Expenditure

(in millions of JPY)
  FY2009 FY2008 FY2007
Overall 1,230 1,528 1,301
Automotive Parts Division 1,199 1,491 1,238
-Steering parts business 477 581 453
-Seat parts business 427 573 514
-Shifter parts business 149 139 117
-Engine parts business 112 136 101
-Parts for large vehicles business 107 34 29
-Other Automotive Parts 104 26 21

-A total of 319 staff members conducted R&D; some of these staff members are engaged in trial manufacturing and experiments. Of these, 314 staff members worked in the automotive parts business.
-Industrial property rights owned by the Company as of March 2010 are all concerned with its automotive parts business and number 312 in total.

R&D Activities

Steering parts business
-The Company is working to reduce product costs and weight while trying to improve safety and product appeal. It will do this by improving the level of plastic forming technologies it uses. It plans to achieve this by reaching the required level of functions and performance demanded for steering columns by utilizing the most optimal mechanisms and designs.
-The Company is addressing the issues and needs surrounding globalization; enhancing its framework for conducting development activities in three regions (Japan, Europe, and the U.S.A.); and improving its competitive edge and product lineup by taking customer demand in the U.S.A. and Europe into consideration.
-The Company is jointly developing future technologies and products with automakers and system manufacturers to improve running performance.
-The Company conducted joint development activities with JTEKT Corporation, taking in development staff from the other company. The aim is to benefit from synergy effects found between the companies, which include, for example, ways to reduce development time.

Seat parts business
-The Company worked on developing functional core components and systems used in seats, such as seat recliners, height adjusters and slides. In response to the growing needs for environmental measures, safety, and comfort, the Company is engaged in reducing the size, weight and cost of products, as well as improving their strength and functions in addition. It is also developing products that can satisfy the seating layouts used in RV vehicles, hoping to improve their  usability so as to satisfy increasingly diverse customers' demands.
-The Company conducted joint development activities with Tach-S Corporation, taking in development staff from the other company. The aim is to benefit from synergy effects found between the companies, which include, for example, improvement of development speed.

Shifter parts business
-The Company is developing mass-marketed shifters in order to reduce both their cost and weight. It plans to achieve this by optimizing the design of automatic transmission shifters, which will lead to improving the Company's competitive edge.
-The Company is also improving product performance in terms of optimizing both feel and maneuverability, which also encompasses operational handling and noise.
-The Company is developing products that can respond to future size reductions.

Engine parts business
-The Company continues to work on engine drive components such as pulleys and drive plates, which are products it is developing in various shapes in response to the needs for processing sheet-metal in the market. The Company plans to achieve this by utilizing several of its proprietary technologies such as plastic forming and product analysis, which include the processes for adding thickness and forming slots on boards.

Parts for the large-vehicles business
-In focusing on components used in both manual and automatic transmissions, the Company is developing products based on customers' specifications.

Technical Transfer Agreements (Inward)

(As of Mar. 31, 2010)

Country Licensor Content Period
German Keiper GmbH&Co. Production technology for seat reclining mechanism and head-rest adjusters 1987.09.25 - 2010.12.31
(automatic renewal)
Patent license for wedge-type seat reclining mechanism 1997.04.18 - 2010.12.31
(automatic renewal)
Germany Winkelman Pannhoff GmbH Production technology for one piece drive-plates 1996.01.29 - 2011.01.28
(automatic renewal)
Liechtenstein ThyssenKrupp Presta AG Patent cross license agreement for steering columns 2007.07.30 - 2017.04.17
* The agreement with ThyssenKrupp Presta AG includes the following technical licensing agreements.

Technical Licensing Agreements (Outward)

(As of Mar. 31, 2010)

Country Licensee Content Period
Taiwan Taiwan Atsugi Co., Ltd. Production technology for steering column 1992.10.06 - 2009.10.05
(automatic renewal)
Taiwan Joyu-Fuji Machinery Co., Ltd. Production technology for A/T device, M/T linkage and pulley 1996.10.08 - 2009.10.07
(automatic renewal)
Malaysia Auto Parts Manufacturers
Co. SDN BHD
Production technology for seat reclining devices and sheet lifters 5 years from 2003.03.25
(automatic renewal)
China Shye Fu Koyo (Xiamen) Mechanical Industry Co., Ltd. Production technology for steering columns From 2005.12.1
(automatic renewal)
USA Douglas Autotech Corporation Production technology for steering columns and automatic transmission devices Five years from April 1, 2006 or the production life of the specific vehicle models
USA Fuji Autotech U.S.A L.L.C. Production technology for seat reclining devices, seat lifters, and seat sliding mechanisms Five years from April 1, 2006 or the production life of the specific vehicle models
Czech Fuji Koyo Czech s.r.o. Production technology for steering columns and intermediate shafts Five years from April 1, 2006 or the production life of the specific vehicle models
France Fuji Autotech France S.A.S. Production technology for seat reclining devices, seat lifters, and seat sliding mechanisms Five years from April 1, 2006 or the production life of the specific vehicle models
Indonesia PT. Autotech Indonesia Production technology for steering columns and intermediate shafts Five years from April 1, 2006 or the production life of the specific vehicle models
China Fuji Autotech Guangzhou Co., Ltd. Production technology for seat reclining devices, seat lifters, and seat sliding mechanisms Nine years from Jan. 1, 2007
Thailand Summit Fujikiko Kurata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. Production technology for steering columns and intermediate shafts Five years from Jan. 1, 2007 or the production life of the specific vehicle models
India Sona Fuji Kiko Automotive Ltd. Production technology for steering columns and intermediate shafts Seven years from Feb. 28, 2008 or the production life of the specific vehicle models
Taiwan Hsin Chong Machinery Works Co., Ltd. Production technology for seat reclining devices Five years from Mar. 18, 2008 or the production life of the specific vehicle models

Investment Activities

Capital Investment

(in millions of JPY)
  FY2009 FY2008 FY2007
Overall 1,488 3,587 9,581
Automotive Parts Division
-Steering parts 634 2,343 6,086
-Seat parts 595 617 1,286
-Shifter parts N.A. - 1,590
-Other Automotive Parts 258 627 618

-The Company made capital investments in the auto parts business specifically in the areas of steering systems and seats. The investments were mainly for improving its production structure so as to manufacture new products in response to new orders and model changes.

New Facilities (automotive parts production facilities)

(As of Mar. 31, 2010)

Company Name Location Business Planned investment
(million JPY)
Start Completion Production capacity increase on completion
Fuji Kiko Co., Ltd. Washizu Plant Shizuoka Pref., Japan Seat parts
Engine parts
1,179 2008.7 2011.3 No change
Fuji Kiko Co., Ltd. Nii Plant Shizuoka Pref., Japan Steering wheel parts 252 2009.3 2011.3 No change
Fuji Kiko Co., Ltd. Honjo Plant Saitama Pref., Japan Shifter parts
Parts for large vehicles
113 2009.2 2011.3 No change
Fuji Autotech France S.A.S Beaulieu, France Steering parts 250 2010.1 2010.12 No change
Fuji Koyo Czech s.r.o. Plzen, Czech Steering parts 186 2010.1 2010.12 No change

Facility Upgrade (automotive parts production facilities)

(As of Mar. 31, 2010)

Company Name Location Business Planned investment
(million JPY)
Start Completion Production capacity increase on completion
Fuji Kiko Co., Ltd. Nii Plant Shizuoka Pref., Japan Steering wheel parts 106 2010.2 2011.3 No change