Employees talk about "Oka Foods" – okafoods-onlineshop

「オカフーズのことを伝えたい！」オカフーズ愛にあふれる2人にこれでもかと語っていただきました。

"We want to tell people about Oka Foods!" These two people, who are filled with love for Oka Foods, spoke at length about this.

Head of Corporate Planning

10 years of experience with the company. Intelligent and honest. Translator of the president's words. Mother of one child.

Marketing Manager

3 years of experience with the company. Representative of Passionate Bottom-Up.

Mori-san Yonemura-san, today we are here as part of a website project, and we don't often get an opportunity like this, so let's talk to our heart's content about our love for Oka Foods!: Yonemura-san

I would really appreciate it (lol)
Mori-san First of all, what department have you worked in over the past 10 years?: Yonemura-san

I worked in the quality control department for about five years, then in the sales department for about a year, then after a year and a half of maternity leave I worked in quality control and the purchasing department, and since June 2020 I've been the manager of the e-commerce store, and since November I've been concurrently serving as the head of the corporate planning department.
Mori-san I see! So your career at Oka Foods began in quality control. You're still a hard-working businessman now, but were you always a hard-working businessman?: Yonemura-san

No way! My previous job was pretty demanding, so I joined the company hoping to find a place where I could have my own time to work.

Mori-san What?! I can't imagine it from the way it looks now!: Yonemura-san

Lol. But I think it was about two years after I joined the company. I would go to Yantai Kaiho Foods in China once every two months and gain a lot of experience in quality improvement, improving the productivity of factory work and equipment, and improving logistics materials. When we started improving quality, there were a lot of quality defects occurring, especially with the remaining bones, but after repeated trial and error with everyone on site, one month we had zero quality defects with the remaining bones in a single month. I was so happy at that time!
Once the quality control knowledge and level of everyone on the front lines had improved and stabilized, we set about making improvements to increase productivity as our next challenge, and we were able to achieve great results with this as well. In the real world, the relationship is that of a supplier and a customer, but the strong relationship of trust between Oka Foods and Yantai Kaiho Foods is truly that of "partners," and I believe it was this relationship of trust that was the foundation that allowed us to continue with such major improvement activities, and I was fortunate to be able to participate in it, which I believe was the catalyst for my big change.
Since then, in order to improve logistics efficiency, we redesigned the sizes of brand-name product boxes and bags based on container volume ratio, warehouse inventory efficiency, and factory workability. The president and my superiors always believed in me, a new and unreliable employee, and allowed me to take on new challenges and gain new experiences. I think that these experiences of "achieving results only possible because of strong relationships of trust" changed my mindset to want to work honestly for the company and its stakeholders. Looking back now, I am eternally grateful.
Mori-san Ah! The part about being able to take on a variety of challenges! I totally agree! The other day, I wrote in my daily report, "I am truly grateful for the many opportunities to learn at Oka Foods," and the president responded, "Whether you feel there are many opportunities to learn is up to you," which made me realize once again that the president gives all employees equal opportunities and I am grateful for that. When I feel that the company (=president) trusts me, I want to trust the company too! I want to contribute to the company! I am grateful for the environment where I can work freely, being myself and expressing my individuality in a good way, and pushing forward with various tasks with peace of mind.: Yonemura-san

We can't stop talking about the president (laughs). By the way, what made you decide to join the company, Mr. Mori?
Mori-san Before joining Oka Foods, I worked for a wholesaler, and one of the events at an exhibition held by that wholesaler was a cooking presentation, and when I saw it, I fell in love at first sight! Normally, this would be a place to promote the merits of a company's products and services, but at that time, Mr. Wada (*1) from Oka Foods was introducing things that would be useful to customers in their work. Seeing them talk about how they are not just superficial, but are focused on being useful to the users, I thought that I would like to do the same kind of work, so I directly asked to join the company.: Yonemura-san

That passion and straightforwardness hasn't changed since then, and that's what's so great about you. Just three years after joining the company, you were promoted to head of the marketing department while still in your twenties.

Mori-san When I first joined the company, I still had that "reading the air" mentality that is so typical of the Japanese, but when I saw how all the employees at Okafoods worked together as one, with the core value of "for the stakeholders," I decided that I too would consciously forge ahead with what I thought was right, without reading the air, for the sake of the stakeholders. As a result, I found that more and more people were willing to work with me on things they thought were "useful" and who sympathized with me.: Yonemura-san

That's right. Everyone has a solid understanding of the company's policies through in-depth study at Okajuku, so Okafoods is an environment where everyone can work hard and improve regardless of their position or attributes, whether they're new or veteran, superior or subordinate, gender, nationality, or even if they're a working mother. I've always felt that this kind of atmosphere and culture is what makes Okafoods great. But even so, did you have any difficulties or worries after joining the company?
Mori-san That's right... this may sound like a lie, but even though I sometimes feel embarrassed when I fail, there are always people in the company who will listen to me when I'm worried and think with me, so I've never actually worried.: Yonemura-san

It's true that everyone at Okafoods is always ready to lend a hand if they see someone in need, and when I think about it, I realize that everyone is always helping me out too... If there's anyone in particular who you think has helped you, or who you think is amazing and would like to emulate, please let me know!
Mori-san I really like everyone at the company... There are many people I would like to introduce, but if I had to choose one, it would be Mr. Zhuang *2. Mr. Zhuang always has a positive and optimistic attitude towards his work. And he's cheerful! He has a very strong desire to be helpful, and he always does the best he can. So, if I ask for help from Mr. Zhuang, I have the utmost confidence that he will respond in the best possible way!: Yonemura-san

Mr. So is also a truly wonderful person! He joined the company in a remote environment, and even though there are still some employees he has never met, he has understood the culture and appeal of Oka Foods and has given all employees more new insights than anyone else! He's truly an amazing person! I'm a little biased, but I think it's rare to find a company with so many people you can respect and want to emulate. So, what does President Oka mean to you, Mr. Mori?
Mori-san It's very clear that the president cares about the happiness of his employees. He's not like a parent or a teacher to me, but I respect and trust him as someone who guides me to the "right path (to become a happy, successful person)." This may sound strange, but he's someone who doesn't just say nice things, but actually follows through. I really love this environment where the company and each employee have an overwhelming sense of responsibility, solidarity, and mission, and rather than being close to and supporting each other, we work independently and strive to improve ourselves, and we can all strive to do what we believe is "right." For example, sales have sales targets but don't chase numbers. The most important point is to "prioritize what's good for stakeholders." I think it's really amazing that a president can say that, be determined, and see it through. That's why I want to spread the word about the great things about the company to the world in the future, and become someone who can connect people and companies who share my views to Oka Foods. Mr. Yonemura, what are your thoughts about being president and the future?: Yonemura-san

With President Oka stepping down as president of the Okafoods business in 2025, I see the next four years as a time to finalize the foundations of a new Okafoods. I personally believe that I am where I am today because of the trust President Oka has placed in me since I joined the company and the many experiences I have gained.
That's why, over the next four years, I want to approach every task with even more sincerity and sincerity. I'm truly grateful to have had the opportunity to spend this precious time working closely with the president every day, but at the same time, I feel a strong sense of urgency along with my gratitude, as I feel that each and every employee, including myself, needs to improve our skills and become someone who can support the new Oka Foods. That's why it's so reassuring to have colleagues who share the same feelings and can talk to me like this! Mori-san, let's continue to work hard together.

*1 Wada-san → Marketing Department. He gives presentations on frozen food preparation at cooking sites across the country to solve the problems of users, especially nutritionists and chefs. *2 Sho-san → Purchasing Headquarters. Despite being the newest employee at Oka Foods, only in his second year at the company, he has a very high level of "Mikey power (mind + awareness power)."

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