▼ MISUMI USA Headquarters - moved into this location in Schaumburg , IL in 2020 began . “ As a result of that shortage , the semiconductor market is really important to us ,” admits Ashida . “ The constraints imposed by the pandemic have affected the industry as a whole – not just us . One of the key lessons that we have learned is to focus more on the stock that customers need , which means investing more in our US locations and local companies in Europe , Asia , and Japan .

“ Through those investments , which includes our new facility in Dayton , we have put ourselves in a better position to receive more customer requests and reduce lead times ,” he continues . “ Since the shortage , those elements have been a priority for our customers . One of our core strengths is our ability to meet such requirements . If we have stock , then we can ship on the same day . Going forward , we will focus on shortening our lead times even further , while also increasing the number of SKUs we can hold , circumnavigating any supply chain constraints .”

Skills improvement and constant learning

As Ashida has suggested , the future of MISUMI is defined by continuous improvement and , as a natural corollary of that , organic growth . He expects the company ’ s various units , split across the US , Europe , Asia , and Japan , to grow by at least $ 10 billion in the next decade . However , as he quickly points out , that growth is predicated upon one thing – and it might not be what you expect .

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