Lectra To Open New Fashion-Dedicated Office In Tokyo
A long-time partner of Japanese apparel-sector manufacturers, Lectra demonstrates its commitment to becoming the leading supplier of design and collections management solutions by strengthening its presence in Tokyo–the design capital of Asia.
The inauguration of the Tokyo office took place on March 27 in the presence of Lectra CEO, Daniel Harari, Lectra Asia-Pacific Director, Jean-Luc Aubert and Claudio Saita, Director of Lectra's Japanese subsidiary, who welcomed representatives of approximately 20 Japanese apparel companies, including Takeshi Hirouchi, CEO of Onward Kashiyama–the largest of those companies–and journalists representing the specialized and economic press.
"With the opening of the Tokyo office, we are entering a new phase in our development in the Japanese fashion market," explained Daniel Harari.
More than 20 years in Japan
Lectra has been present in Japan for more than 20 years and currently serves more than 400 customers in the country. In 2005 the company's 2005 revenues in Japan totaled approximately $15 million. Lectra has eight offices and 35 employees in Japan.
"As a complement to our Osaka headquarters and our other offices in Japan, these new Tokyo offices will allow us to work closely with major apparel customers and to build projects with them that address their new challenges," declared Claudio Saita.
The opening of this new office occurs at a key moment for Japanese apparel companies; the abolition of textile quotas on January 1, 2005 unleashed profound changes in the global industry, forcing major international brands to continuously evolve their strategies.
As is true with their American and European counterparts, Japanese fashion and apparel companies will need to increase their design capacities, develop their brands, maintain tight control over their suppliers and modernize their production processes, both internally and in neighboring Asian countries in which they subcontract production.
One partner for all projects
In addition to its proximity with Japanese customers, Lectra also draws upon its experience in transnational projects to support customer projects, including those involving offshoring of production to China.
As Claudio Saita explains, "we have appointed a member of the Japanese team in Shanghai so that we can fully meet local Chinese expectations. By combining cutting edge technologies and specialized teams, we provide our customers with effective solutions to their requirements."
An innovative offering dedicated to fashion, strengthened by a new PLM solution in 2007
Lectra solutions are perfectly adapted to the evolving needs of the apparel industry, covering the entire collection development cycle, from design to production.
"Continually reinforced by our innovative capacity and the strong partnerships formed with our customers, Lectra solutions provide a significant competitive advantage to customers faced with major changes in their markets," explains Daniel Harari.
Lectra's new PLM offering, which has already been chosen by major European companies such as Mango, will be available in Japan at the beginning of 2007, further strengthening the company's offering. Integrated with business applications, this solution will constitute a genuine decision-support platform by associating the skills of all internal collaborators and external partners of the company.
Two inaugurations demonstrate Lectra's commitment to the Asia-Pacific region
This inauguration took place just a few days after the inauguration of Lectra's new Asia-Pacific headquarters in Shanghai, China.
Lectra's Asia-Pacific region covers Australia, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. In 2005 the region represented 18% of the company's consolidated revenues (an increase of 3% over 2004) and 12% of the Group's worldwide employees (at December 31, 2005).
These two inaugurations confirm Lectra as a prominent player and an experienced partner for companies established in the region.
SOURCE: Lectra