The Hidden Champion: Sunco Industries Co., Ltd.
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Can you imagine a world without screws? It is said that at any moment there is at least one screw within a three-foot radius. Though rarely noticed, screws are essential components that support virtually every industry. This series highlights these unseen contributors by focusing on Sunco Industries Co., Ltd., one of Japan’s largest specialized fastener trading companies. Through its distinctive growth strategy, the company offers a compelling story of how quiet innovation sustains the global economy.
Part One: 95-Years Young! A Japanese Fastener Company with A Growth Model Built on Retention, Not Replacement
In global business, workforce flexibility and talent mobility are often equated with competitiveness. Japan’s long-standing employment practices are therefore sometimes viewed as incompatible with modern management. However, when examined closely, the core principle behind long-term employment is not resistance to change, but the internalization of change within the organization. Rather than optimizing solely for short-term productivity, the Japanese model reallocates roles over time in response to changes in employee capability, experience, and life stage. The result is organizational continuity that preserves institutional knowledge while still enabling adaptation.
At Sunco Industries, this philosophy is embodied by Yasuko Tamaki, a 95-year-old member of the Administration Department. Recognized by Guinness World Records in 2020 as the world’s oldest administration employee, Ms. Tamaki has worked at the company since its early years. Serving under three generations of leadership, she has witnessed its evolution into a globally active fastener trading company. Just as screws quietly support structures across all industries, Ms. Tamaki has supported the organization quietly from behind the scenes. Colleagues share stories of receiving New Year’s cards from her that included words of appreciation for their work even when they belonged to completely different departments and had no direct interaction with her. Many were surprised by her detailed understanding of their individual roles.
With her deep knowledge of each employee and their work, Ms. Tamaki has become a living storyteller of Sunco Industries. Her firsthand accounts of how past challenges were overcome though stories not captured in numerical data or reports, serve as invaluable guidance for employees as they continue to innovate and take on new challenges in pursuit of growth.
Importantly, Ms. Tamaki openly supports leadership succession and generational transition. “Each era requires leaders suited to its time,” she notes, underscoring a corporate mindset that values renewal over hierarchy. This perspective aligns with Sunco Industries’ broader talent strategy. More than fifty percent of its annual new hires are women, and the company has deliberately built systems that encourage female participation in decision-making and process improvement. Female leaders are increasingly visible in operational reform initiatives.
Sunco Industries’ approach to talent retention is also reflected in its worklife policies. The company holds Japan’s Kurumin certification for childcare support, with parental leave and flexible work arrangements embedded as standard practice rather than exceptions. Employees report minimal disruption upon returning from leave, preserving productivity while accommodating life milestones. By promoting lifelong engagement and embracing change, Ms. Tamaki stands as a role model who symbolizes a corporate culture in which people can continue contributing at every stage of life.
At Sunco Industries, people are central to its success. In the next installment, we will examine another pillar of this strategy: why part-time employees are positioned at the core of Sunco Industries’ human capital model!
