Together with our Japanese representative Fukuno International, we were attending SEA Japan in Tokyo for the first time from 10 to 12 April and were able to present our engine expertise in the maritime sector to the Japanese market.
New territory for BEN Buchele: While we have a strong presence in the Asian market overall, Japan has not been one of our core markets to date. This will change with Fukuno International (http://www.fukuno.co.jp/), our new representative in Japan since January 2024. Our first project was our joint exhibition stand at SEA Japan in Tokyo from 10 to 12 April. The trade fair for shipbuilding, ship accessories and technologies for the shipping industry was an exciting opportunity for us to make contact with Japanese companies and interested visitors. The trade fair was predominantly made up of Japanese exhibitors, while foreign companies played a smaller role. Individual European companies were also represented, particularly through joint stands with Japanese partner companies.
Remarkable for us Europeans – Fukuno also represents other German and European companies in the maritime sector – was the high visitor frequency at our stand. Fukuno enjoys a great reputation in the industry, so business partners and large companies were keen to visit our stand for an informative exchange. In addition, we met well with interested Japanese parties and see promising business opportunities for our special motors.
Fukuno International was founded in 1998 and is active in the after-sales market in the maritime sector. Fukuno provides assistance wherever replacement motors are required and has also been able to offer our special motors, e.g. for anchor and mooring winches, since January 2024. According to Fukuno, Japanese companies have high quality standards and are open to motor quality ‘made in Germany’. Another advantage for us: delivery times for special motors are lengthy in Japan, so we can offer added value with shorter delivery times and high quality.
The next SEA trade fair in Tokyo will take place in two years – after this successful start, we will certainly be represented again together with Fukuno International
Small but mighty: Together with the representatives of Fukuno International, including owner Yoshimi Fukuno (centre), we welcomed the numerous visitors to our stand; on the right: BEN sales manager Detlef Koslowsky.