Global business lands in Lodi
Lodi hosts international crowd for ribbon cutting
Business owners, executives, delegates and city officials from as near as Lodi and as far as Japan snacked on apple turnovers, scones, pound cake and other baked goods in a warehouse on East Kettleman Lane to celebrate the grand opening of MHA Building Systems’ new Lodi facility on Friday.
An affiliate of Mitsui Home Company in Japan specializing in prefabricated wooden panels for residential buildings, MHA purchased the property in June, according to Senior Vice President of Construction Rod Remple, originally from San Ramon.
“We were attracted to the culture of the town and the opportunities for employment, it seems like there’s a great employee base here, and the proximity to (Highway) 99 also provides access to the San Francisco Bay Area, Tahoe, Reno, Fresno and Bakersfield,” Remple said.
Lodi Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Pat Patrick acted as master of ceremonies for the event, welcoming guests from the stage.
“Today is a celebration for everyone here at the Lodi Chamber of Commerce to welcome this new business to town, which will create jobs and bolster our economy. From Lodi, they will be able to penetrate the entire U.S. market moving east,” Patrick said.
Patrick then welcomed MHA Building Systems President and Chief Executive Officer Tatsuya Suzuki from Japan, who explained that Mitsui Home Company has built more than 230,000 houses in Japan since it was founded in 1974, and began supplying panels for school buildings, condominiums and senior homes in Canada, Washington and California in 1992 when they opened a facility in Vancouver, British Columbia. Suzuki also announced plans to continue expanding MHA’s reach from its new location in Lodi.
“We plan to supply 1,000 panels from this plant for the fiscal year of 2018 here in Lodi, and increase manufacturing to achieve our target capacity of 3,000 units in the future. Let me conclude by asking once again for your continued cooperation and support. Thank you very much for celebrating with us here today,” Suzuki said.
Consul-General of Japan Jun Yamada then explained that the Mitsui brand’s history in Japan dates back over 300 years, and expressed hope that Friday’s ceremony, which coincides with an increased demand for multi-family housing in California, will help strengthen relationships between California and Japan.
“It is noble work to create a safe living environment for families, turning a mere house into a home where families can thrive and prosper,” Suzuki said.
Mayor Doug Kuehne of Lodi followed Suzuki, welcoming guests from Japan, Canada and San Francisco to the largest international grand opening in Lodi, inviting them to sample some of Lodi’s many wineries and explore Lodi Lake, which is home to 300 species of birds as well as kayaking areas for the more adventurous. He also presented pins bearing images of grape clusters to Remple and Suzuki as a gesture of goodwill.
“230,000 houses, that’s a lot of homes, and a lot of expertise. This is great for Lodi, I’m very excited. In honor of this auspicious occasion, I present you with this grape cluster, may you wear it with pride,” Kuehne said.
Following a short video outlining the Mitsui brands history from Takatoshi Mitsui’s Tokyo fabric shop in 1673, the first store with fixed prices that evolved into a department store that stands to this day to the Mitsui Home Company that pioneered the 2-by-4 housing construction method in Japan, Remple took the stage to offer his gratitude and announce plans to improve the construction industry.
“We spent over a year trying to find the perfect location to buy when we found Lodi. I really want to thank the City of Lodi and the City Council for all of the work you did to push the permits through. Our role is to provide a product that’s going to force the industry to improve. Our product makes the process more simple, efficient and correct. When people in Japan hear the Mitsui name, they know it’s number one. We’re also going to partner with a national framing business, one of the biggest in the country, which will allow us to ship our product anywhere we want,” Remple said.
Thomas Sanchez, Waste Management’s director of business development, presented Suzuki with a ceremonial first dollar, and Chamber of Commerce Board Member Deborah Chiene, former principal of Lincoln Technical Academy, presented a plaque symbolizing MHA’s membership in the Chamber before Suzuki cut a ribbon with the ceremonial giant scissors.
Remple then led the guests on a tour of the manufacturing facility, which included a demonstration of how a panel is assembled, followed by a champagne toast and buffet lunch.
“This is such a great day for our company, and such great people to share it with. Here’s to MHA Building Systems and our success in America. Cheers!” Remple said.