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March update on the biggest Japanese companies in the UK and what they are doing in response to Brexit (or if you prefer, global trends in the car industry, nuclear power, IT etc). There are around 1,000 companies, employing 160,000 people. 1/
1. The Fujitsu group continues to be the biggest Japanese employer in 🇬🇧(>8,300). Employee numbers have dropped by 2,000 since 2016 + further restructuring in Europe started Oct 2018, including shutting Augsburg factory in Germany 2/
Fujitsu UK MD has confirmed Fujitsu is committed to UK however, which is not surprising as it has a lot of government contracts, including for ID document recognition for post Brexit systems bbc.co.uk/news/business-… 3/
2. Nissan group has over 8,000 🇬🇧employees (including sales + trading). It already announced it was axing 200 back office jobs across Europe in 2018. 700 new jobs +250 existing jobs lost as X-Trail and Infiniti will no longer be manufactured in Sunderland. 4/
Nissan's factor is in Washington + Sunderland West constituency, who voted 61.3% leave. @sharonhodgsonMP voted against May deal 5/
3. Honda group has nearly 7,000 🇬🇧employees (including R&D, sales, finance, logistics, European HQ). It announced closure of Swindon factory (nearly 4,000 jobs) in 2022 as it withdraws production of Civics from Europe, focusing on USA, China + Japan for manufacturing. 6/
Honda is now asking for "a clear, legally certain, path forward to avoid no deal" and that any extension "must be purposeful and long enough to give business stability." reuters.com/article/us-bri… 7/
Swindon = 54.7% Leave. North Swindon MP @justintomlinson voted for Brexit, will vote for May's deal. 8/ swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/17502865.…
4. Itochu is one of Japan's leading trading houses, with investments in clothing and tyre businesses (including KwikFit) in the UK, employing nearly 7,000 people. European HQ in UK increased capital from £44m to £70m 2018. Invested £5m in UK company Hiyacar 2018. 9/
5. The Hitachi group has multiple investments in the UK, employing nearly 6,500 people. Has suspended Horizon nuclear power project at Wylfa with a potential of 9,000 jobs after talks with UK government over funding collapsed January 2019. 10/
Hitachi Rail employs nearly 2,000 people, has a factory in Newton Aycliffe supplying East Coast mainline. Has localised supply chain as far as possible to avoid Brexit disruption but concerns on exports to Europe. Failed to win Deep Tube project. 11/ thenorthernecho.co.uk/opinion/175054…
Hitachi's Newton Aycliffe factory is in the Sedgfield constituency = 57% Leave @MPPhilWilson backing a final say referendum via Kyle-Wilson amendment 12/ theguardian.com/commentisfree/…
6. Dentsu Aegis Network, the UK headquartered global arm of Japan's advertising giant Dentsu, employing over 4,000 people in the UK has continued on its buying spree, including BJL in the UK in 2019 13/ campaignlive.co.uk/article/dentsu…
7. Toyota employs nearly 3,500 in UK (including sales + logistics). 2 factories - engines at Deeside (56.4% Leave) employing 542. @MarkTami MP voted Remain, against May deal. Burnaston factory in South Derbyshire (60.4% Leave) MP @heatherwheeler voted Leave + for May Deal. 14/
Toyota has recently warned that a no deal would threaten future production in UK in long term. Short term has invested £240m in Corolla production, has plans for disruption mitigation, shifted type approval to EU 15/ derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/business/…
8. Sony group employs <3,500 in UK, 10% down on 2016. Made preparations to move European HQ from UK to Netherlands in 2018 (as first pointed out on this Twitter account) - will go ahead by the end of March 2019 regardless of any Brexit delay. 16/ japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/03/1…
Manufacturing at Sony DADC shifted to Austria, capital reduced by £280m in 2018. Further manufacturing in Pencoed, employing around 600 people. Ogmore constituency 54.6% Leave, @CPJElmore MP voted against May deal. 17/
9. Ricoh group employs around 3,500 in UK including factory in Telford employing around 700, exports 95% of production to Europe. Telford & Wrekin voted 63.2% Leave. @lucyallan MP pro Brexit voted in favour of retaining no deal and against May deal. 18/
10. Mitsubishi Corporation employs <3,000 in UK,mainly at 11 food/drink production sites of Princes subsidiary. Has asked for as smooth as possible implementation period for Brexit 19/ foodmanufacture.co.uk/Article/2019/0…
11. NTT, Japan's telecom giant is expanding in 🇬🇧, >2500 employees. NTT Data UK CEO says “Post-Brexit, we believe the UK is, + will continue to be, a thriving market + innovation hub for countries in Europe +the rest of the world." 20/ uk.nttdata.com/news/2019/01/n…
12. Canon (>2,500 employees) is fairly Brexit proof. Management services for Europe, Middle East and Africa region in UK but holding company is in Netherlands anyway. Manufacturing in Netherlands, Germany, France 21/
13. SoftBank's acquisition of ARM in 2016 was seen as a vote of confidence in Brexit UK, They promised to double the UK headcount by 2021 - at 2500 employees currently - need another 1,000 hires to hit this. 22/ telegraph.co.uk/technology/201…
SoftBank also invested in Japanese technology start up Uhuru, which has opened an office in London, looking to list there. 23/ uk.reuters.com/article/uk-jap…
14. NSG Pilkington has around 2,500 employees, mainly in St Helens, says won't be impacted by Brexit as most of glass production is for UK customers (automotive🤨 and architectural). 24/
15. MS&AD group 2,306 employees. MS Amlin (acquired 2016) set up post Brexit base in Brussels. Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance shut down PLC + converted to Societas Europeae. Ownership of Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance transferred from European holding company in UK to Japan 2018. 25/25
16. MUFG group has 2,300 employees in UK (bank has branch status, so estimate). Amsterdam to be base for post Brexit investment, securities, corporate banking business theguardian.com/politics/2019/…
17. Nomura has 2,194 employees in UK, down from 2586 2 years' ago. £1.6bn turnover. Nomura Financial Products Europe GmbH granted securities trading license May 2018. Set up UK branch of Germany based asset management hub Jan 2019. Paris to be post Brexit banking/lending hub 27/
18. Denso, part of the Toyota group, employs <2000 in UK. All UK subsidiaries have changed ownership from UK holding company to Dutch holding company (NL is where European HQ is anyway) in 2018/9. 28/
Denso has factories in Telford + Shipley, also 🇭🇺🇩🇪🇨🇿🇵🇱🇵🇹🇪🇸🇹🇷 Telford/Wrekin MP @MPritchardUK Shipley MP @PhilipDaviesUK voted to retain no deal option. Pritchard now says will back May deal next week, Philip Davies already backed it last week. 29/
19. NYK group, which includes Yusen Logistics, employs around 2,000 people in the UK. Hoping to use Portsmouth + Poole on the south coast for France + the Iberian peninsula, or Harwich, Hull, + Newcastle for northern Europe + Scandinavia 30/ uk.reuters.com/article/us-bri…
20. Calsonic Kansei, Japan originated but now owned by US KKR, employs around 2000 in factories in Llanelli and Sunderland. Also manufacturing in Romania + Spain + acquired Italian Magneti Marelli 2018. Grant from Welsh government for EV technology 31/ bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-…
21. Sumitomo Rubber acquired Micheldever, 2nd biggest UK tyre distribution company in 2017, around 1,700 employees, fighting back at Itochu's acquisition of KwikFit 32/ belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/news/…
22. Konica Minolta, >1700 employees in UK, regional HQ in 🇩🇪, marketing services in UK. Have identified 4 areas of Brexit impact - employment & labour, VAT & Customs, Economic Factors + branches/structure. Plans in place which will be implemented once final outcome known. 33/
23. Outsourcing - relatively new to UK, acquired various public sector outsourcing, recruitment, debt recovery companies 2016-8, >1,500 employees. 34/
24. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group - >1,500 employees in UK, set up up banking and securities subsidiaries in Frankfurt for post Brexit, opened branch in London. 35/
25. Mitsubishi Electric (1500 employees) has been quite vocal about Brexit, making a submission to the government migration advisory committee about need for EU labour for air conditioning factory in Scotland. Failure to reach deal "single worst thing" 36/ hvnplus.co.uk/news/besa-brex…
26. Brother - >1400 employees in UK, owns Domino Printing Sciences and factory in Wrexham. MP is @susanelanjones committed to a @peoplesvote_uk 37/
27. Unipres 1,400 employees in UK, factory in Sunderland and operation in Birmingham supplying Honda. "we will start considering our options, including shutting down," a Unipres representative said. 38/ asia.nikkei.com/Business/Compa…
28. Mizuho has around 1,400 employees in UK. London bank has branch status, branch in Frankfurt being turned into a subsidiary to trade from Jan 2019. Bank in Netherlands being strengthened. 39/ fnlondon.com/articles/mizuh…
29. NEC acquired Northgate Public Services in 2018, so now has over 1,500 employees in UK. Have turned R&D laboratory branch in Germany into a GmbH because of Brexit but otherwise no significant changes expected to business model as warehouse is in continental Europe. 40/
30. Olympus has around 1,300 employees in UK, production in Wales and Southend. From 2017 will no longer sell to MEA region or distribute to Olympus subsidiaries in Europe. Will be undertaken by German HQ 41/41
Oops sorry missed Ricoh at # 9 employs around 3,500 in UK including factory in Telford employing around 700, exports 95% of production to Europe. Telford & Wrekin voted 63.2% Leave. @lucyallan MP pro Brexit voted in favour of retaining no deal and against May deal. 42/42
