[Gen-AI Analysis] Tokai Rika Co., Ltd. Business Report FY2012 - MarkLines Automotive Information & Gen-AI Platform

Tokai Rika Co., Ltd. Business Report FY2011

Business Highlights

Financial Overview

(in millions of JPY)

	FY ended Mar. 31, 2012	FY ended Mar. 31, 2011	Rate of Change (%)	Factors
Overall
Sales	319,577	327,622	(2.5)	-
Operating income	13,156	18,906	(30.4)	-Even though the Company actively worked to reduce costs, it nevertheless recorded lower operating income year-on-year due the high evaluation of the yen.
Ordinary profit	14,977	20,058	(25.3)	-
Current net income	8,123	5,234	55.2	-

Contracts

-The Company has developed a steering wheel for commercial use, main parts of which are made from bamboo, for the first time in the world. Bamboo, which absorbs carbon dioxide in the process of growing and can be obtained easily as material, is excellent in terms of environmental responsiveness. The new steering wheel has been chosen for the first time for the next generation "Lexus GS" slated for launching in early 2012. It will be made available as option as part of the interior package. The newly developed product will be manufactured at Tokai Rika's affiliate in Kochi Prefecture. (From an article in the Nikkan Jidosha Shimbun on December 7, 2011)

Divestitures

-Shinchang Electrics Co., Ltd. announced that it will increase its investment in STF Co., Ltd., raising its shareholding in the company from 40.0 percent at present to 100.0 percent. STF, based in Cheonan, Chungcheongnam-do, manufactures and sells automotive electronics components. The company was established in 2002 as a joint venture company with Japanese companies, Tokai Rika Co., Ltd. and Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd. The transaction is expected to close in April 2012. (From a press release on March 2, 2012)

Outlook for FY ending Mar. 31, 2013

(in millions of JPY)

	FY ending Mar. 31, 2013 (Estimate)	FY ended Mar. 31, 2012 (Result)	Rate of change (%)
Sales	356,000	319,577	11.4
Operating income	23,000	13,156	74.8
Ordinary income	23,500	14,977	56.9
Net income	15,000	8,123	84.7

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

R&D

R&D expenses

(in millions of JPY)

	FY ended Mar. 31, 2012	FY ended Mar. 31, 2011	FY ended Mar. 31, 2010
Japan	17,075	-	-
North America	515	-	-
Overall	17,590	16,969	16,607

R&D Achievements

-The Company strove to develop not only new products but also new elemental technology, which enabled it to develop a variety of products. These products included mainly automotive switches, with input devices providing further advances; security systems in which optimized electronics technology has been applied in key-locks; and safety systems such as seatbelt and mirrors.

Switches
-The Company developed integrated input devices/systems that provided greater safety and easier operating, such as steering-system switches and other cabin-interior switches.
-The Company developed and began commercial production of steering switches that can be operated in tandem with indicators, items for which more advances are predicted in line with the greater diversification of functions. It also developed and started manufacturing more compact and lower cost heating-control switches, which have been made attractive because of added decoration.
-In working together with its production operations in North America, the Company is presenting product offerings that factor in local needs.

Security Systems
-The Company was successful in its R&D activities aimed at developing low-cost smart-key systems that can be marketed globally, and at developing systems offering improved security.
-The Company pioneered and began mass-producing by-wire shift levers, which are typified by their use in HVs and EVs, in advance of its competitors.

Safety Systems
-The Company developed a standard mirror designed for high-end vehicles, which it plans to mass-produce in tandem with the standard mirrors it has already been producing for compact cars, hoping to increase the types of vehicles to which it can deliver these products.
-The Company began mass-producing a steering-wheel made of bamboo, as part of its initiatives to raise the product-appeal of its cabin-interior products.

Licensing of Technology from Other Companies

(As of Mar. 31, 2012)

Company	Partner	Country	Outline of agreements	Contract period
Tokai Rika Co., Ltd.	Autoliv Development AB	Sweden	Licensing of patent on automotive seatbelts	2007.12.01 - the patent expiry date
Tokai Rika Co., Ltd.	TRW Vehicle Safety Systems Inc.	USA	Licensing of patent on automotive seatbelts	2008.01.01- the patent expiry date

Licensing of Technology to Other Companies

(As of Mar. 31, 2012)

Partner	Country	Outline of tie-ups	Contract period
Ashimori Industry Co., Ltd.	Japan	Licensing use of patent on seat belts for automobiles	2007.02.02 - the patent expiry date
Ashimori Industry Co., Ltd.	Japan	Licensing use of international patent on seat belts for automobiles	2007.02.02 - the patent expiry date

Investment Activities

Capital Expenditure

(in millions of JPY)

	FY ended Mar. 31, 2012	FY ended Mar. 31, 2011	FY ended Mar. 31, 2010
Overall	16,406	11,707	11,122

-In addition to investing in facilities and equipment in order to shift to producing new products, the Company invested in a new factory and also in production facilities in Brazil, as a step toward responding to the growth in emerging-market countries.

-For the fiscal year ending March 2013, the Company plans to invest 18,500 million yen, mainly in its automotive parts business.

New Equipment Installations

(As of Mar. 31, 2012)

Plant	Location	Type of facility	Estimated amount of investment (in million JPY)	Project Period
Plant	Location	Type of facility	Estimated amount of investment (in million JPY)	From	To
Headquarters/Headquarters Plant	Aichi Pref., Japan	Facility to manufacture products compatible with in-vehicle electronics; parts for switches; and conduct assembly-inspections	3,133	Apr. 2012	Mar. 2013
Toyota Plant	Aichi Pref., Japan	Facility to manufacture seatbelts, decorative ornamentations; and conduct assembly inspections	1,423	Apr. 2012	Mar. 2013
Otowa Plant/Hagi Plant	Aichi Pref., Japan	Facility to manufacture parts for key-locks, steering wheels, etc.; and conduct assembly inspections	3,306	Apr. 2012	Mar. 2013