On December 22, 2023, a visit was organized by employees of the Graduate School of Business and Entrepreneurship, as well as Hakim assistants at Oriental Carpet Mills Co., Ltd and Yamagata Asahi Co., Ltd, located in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan.

Oriental Carpet Mills Co., Ltd was established in 1935 for the manufacturing of hand-woven carpets with natural fibers. At present, the company has 60 employees, the majority of whom are women. The main buyers of the company’s products are government organizations, as well as local and foreign companies. Currently, the company exports handmade carpets to more than 10 countries worldwide. Moreover, the annual turnover of the company is worth 7 million US dollars.

The specific feature of this enterprise is that the company started its business by making small handcrafts and has now expanded into a medium-sized business. Furthermore, by promoting the brand of hand-woven carpets, the company supplies carpets to export markets.

Yamagata Asahi Co., Ltd was established in 1988 as a manufacturer of metal cases for electrical equipment. Presently, the company has a total of 56 employees. Yamagata Asahi exports its products to Southeast Asia and other Asian regions, as well as Uzbekistan, with an annual turnover of 6 million US dollars.

Additionally, Yamagata Asahi Co., Ltd has developed a partnership with Yamagata University in the field of university and business collaboration. Accordingly, Yamagata University organizes training, workshops, master classes on small business management, lean management for the employees of Yamagata Asahi Co., Ltd and provides consulting services to implement innovations in production.