Message from President

I would like to extend my cordial wishes to all of you at the start of the New Year. Last year saw favorable signs for the Japanese economy, including an increase in corporate wages as well as a recovery in demand from visitors to Japan. However, forecasts predict that the increasingly unstable global climate and the political and economic conditions in the U.S. going forward will significantly affect Japan's economy. There are also concerns about factors within Japan, such as rising prices and volatile changes in foreign exchange rates. In this way, the future outlook continues to be extremely uncertain.
In the face of these conditions, the AZ-COM MARUWA Group is pursuing multiple initiatives during the final fiscal year of its Medium-term Management Plan 2025. These initiatives include responding to the increase in volume within the business domains of E-commerce logistics, cold chain food logistics, and medicine & medical logistics, securing and developing human resources to expand business in the face of increasingly severe shortages in labor and operational vehicles, and promoting and implementing DX to achieve labor-saving, efficiency, and productivity improvements. Regarding the "2024 problem" in logistics, which involves labor shortages due to a declining and aging population, we will tackle various issues related to driver shortages by promoting diversity in management and by building an environment in which a wide range of human resources can enjoy success while focusing on securing and developing our human capital. We aim to hire 600 new recruits every year (3,000 in five years), and 400 mid-career employees every year (2,000 in five years) to make a total of 5,000 employees hired.
In our logistics support business for BCP (business continuity planning), the AZ-COM MARUWA Support Network has played a central role in concluding large-scale disaster support agreements with local governments and companies, and in promoting wide-area support initiatives for logistics flow as a 3PL & platform company. So far, local governments from 29 prefectures and 51 municipalities have concluded support agreements. Our company was founded in April 2015, and so we are celebrating our 10th anniversary this year. To express our appreciation and make a great start for the next 10 years, we held a commemorative 10th-anniversary training session on November 7–8, 2024, at the Karuizawa Prince Hotel West. Around 300 people from 149 member companies participated in this training session. We started with 132 members at the time of our founding, but we have since grown to 2,700 members today. Going forward, we aim to reach 5,000 members in fiscal 2027 and 10,000 members in fiscal 2040. We will focus on growth to gain greater buying power, as well as stronger and broader BCP logistics capabilities for securing lifelines during disasters, thereby building a more robust logistics network.
In November 2024, LUFI. Co., Ltd. joined our Group. This company boasts strengths in online supermarket deliveries, its in-house developed delivery vehicle matching system, and its refrigerated and frozen vehicle delivery network within the light cargo transportation business. Going forward, we expect to see a strengthening of the sales system, a boost in the quality of logistics services, and synergy with our Group's business foundations. With an aim to boost corporate value for both of us, we will work to provide high-quality logistics services for the last one mile, secure a large share in relevant markets, and further boost our competitiveness.
Last year, MARUWA UNYU KIKAN's rugby team, the AZ-COM MARUWA MOMOTARO’S, achieved its first victory in the first fiscal year after promotion to the A-Group—the highest level in the Japan East Rugby Football Union Top East League. Starting in the 2024-25 season, the team established a fan club and a supporting sponsor system, and it has received support from individuals and 114 partner companies. We will continue to carry out activities in 2025 so that people not just within the team's home turf of eastern Saitama, but also across all of Japan can come together and experience the appeal of rugby as they support the AZ-COM MARUWA MOMOTARO’S with even more fervor. The fan club (for individuals) is accepting new members up until January 31, 2025. Members receive original merchandise, a digital membership card, and complimentary tickets for paid matches in which the team plays. I invite all of you to join the fan club as we all aim together to reach LEAGUE ONE.

Going forward, the AZ-COM MARUWA Group will continue to build foundations for logistics that are resistant to environmental changes and serve as social infrastructure. At the same time, we will achieve sustainable growth. More than ever, I kindly request your ongoing support.

January, 2025
President & CEO Masaru Wasami