25^th Anniversary Plus One

Summit Agro International celebrated the 25^th anniversary of its establishment in 2007. Over the years, we have been growing by using our unique know-how for information gathering and sales as a trading company, as well as by mobilizing our expertise built up over many years.
Following the transfer of trading rights from Sumitomo Corporation to our company in October 2006, we are now ready to take our business to the next level.

To revisit the 25-year history of our company, Ms. Yamamoto of the Administration Team visited Mr. Shida, former president of the company, to ask what the business was like. Mr. Shida talked about the early days of Summit Agro International.

Ms. Yamamoto:

As we can see from "History" on the Company Overview page on this website, our predecessor company was established in 1982. How many employees were there when the business started?

Mr. Shida:

Four or five. The company was originally set up to provide agricultural consulting services, but it soon entered the public health business as well in Saudi Arabia.

Ms. Yamamoto:

Public health business?

Mr. Shida:

It was called "pest control operation (PCO)." We worked on upgrading the public health environment to protect people from flies, mosquitoes, mice and other potential pest carriers.

Ms. Yamamoto:

So one of our policies, "Enrich people's lives," had already been established even in the early days? Any other projects?

Mr. Shida:

There was also the soil conditioner project. We attempted afforestation in deserts. We used the same technology used for making greens, top-dressing lawns, and improving fairways on golf courses. It was in the midst of the golf boom, and many golf courses were being rapidly constructed.

Ms. Yamamoto:

It was during the bubble period?

Mr. Shida:

That's right. We also worked on the transplanting culture system. It was a foldable pot made of specially processed paper. When fully opened, it became a pot with no bottom which was convenient for raising seedlings. The pot was used to grow sugar beet as well, and marketed in various places including Spain where sugar beet seeds used to be directly sown in the soil. Because the pot was made of paper, it decomposed easily in the soil when transferred to the soil together with the seedlings, so it was an environment-friendly system.

Ms. Yamamoto:

These episodes about soil conditioners and a Paper Pot Transplanting System reflect our fundamental principle of "Handle environment-friendly products."

Mr. Shida:

That's right. We also operated retail shops for agricultural inputs.

Ms. Yamamoto:

Our company has been involved in a wide range of businesses. Maybe I too could come up with a new project!

Mr. Shida:

In 1999 there was a big change, when we merged with Sumisho Speciality Chemicals International Co., Ltd., another Sumitomo Corporation Group company. This merger allowed us to add the new environmental health products business line to our two existing business lines, and expand the scale and scope of the business. This was when the company was totally transformed.

Ms. Yamamoto:

The company name also changed.

Mr. Shida:

Yes. The name was changed from Summit Agro Ltd. to Summit Agro International Ltd. Only the word "International" was added, but it reflects the company's vision of putting more emphasis on external trading and international operations. Then in October 2006, the transfer of all trading rights from Sumitomo Corporation to Summit Agro International was completed.

Ms. Yamamoto:

We are now doing business worldwide.

Mr. Shida:

We are committed not only to providing safe products that can be used with complete peace of mind but also to protecting the environment and making people's lives richer and more comfortable. This has been the philosophy ever since the start of our company.

Ms. Yamamoto:

We must maintain this good tradition built up over the past 25 years, but also go to the next level by taking on new challenges. Thank you very much for sharing your precious experiences.

The 25th anniversary party was held in July 2007.