Name: Yoshitaka Matsutake
Company: Sumitomo (SHI) Demag Plastics Machinery North America, Inc. *SDNA
Position: Engineering Manager
Joined: 2011
*Affiliation and position are current as of May 2026.
As the technical lead for the North American organization, I work closely with our factories in Japan and Germany, our sales and service teams in the U.S., and local component suppliers. My responsibilities include reviewing machine specifications, planning customization projects, supporting machine start-ups, and troubleshooting technical issues. Through locally based engineering support, I focus on helping customers complete machine start-ups with confidence and transition smoothly into stable mass production.
I live in Suwanee, Georgia, which is a quiet residential area and a very comfortable place for families. Although traffic can be heavy due to the car-oriented lifestyle, the road network is well developed, so daily transportation is relatively easy to plan. Another attractive point is the wide variety of food options. In addition to Japanese food, ingredients for Mexican, Chinese, Korean, meat-based, and vegetable-based dishes are easy to find. There are also many restaurant choices, including BBQ, Mexican, and Asian cuisine, but American hamburgers are still one of my favorites.
On weekends, I enjoy exercising at nearby parks and trails, as well as playing golf with colleagues and friends. Sometimes I also book a tee time by myself and focus on playing a full round. Recently, I have also started playing tennis and am practicing with the goal of eventually participating in tournaments. During longer holidays, my family and I often visit beaches in Florida or Georgia, where we enjoy swimming and fishing.
The North American market moves very quickly, especially in advanced fields such as AI data centers and EV-related industries, where large-scale investments are often decided and executed rapidly. In addition, the large population supports a broad industrial base, including automotive, medical, packaging, home appliances, and infrastructure. For our company, this makes North America a market with significant business opportunities.
At the same time, when the market environment becomes uncertain due to changes in tariffs or other regulations, investment decisions by our customers and their end users tend to be delayed. As a result, our order intake can become unstable. In some cases, we may see a temporary increase in demand before regulatory changes take effect, while in others, customers may postpone delivery schedules while waiting for clearer investment conditions. In addition, changes in interest rates can make customers even more cautious about capital investment, which also creates a risk of reduced visibility in our order planning.
In this rapidly changing business environment, customers place strong value on short lead times so they can capture order opportunities from their own clients. Therefore, they also expect us to provide a fast and reliable supply system. In addition, demand is increasing for solutions that improve equipment utilization, reduce downtime, support preventive maintenance, manage machine condition and spare parts, and visualize production processes. With labor shortages and cost pressures becoming more significant, interest in labor-saving and automation solutions is also growing. As an injection molding machine manufacturer, we are expected not only to supply machines, but also to provide comprehensive proposals that consider the customer's operation after installation.
Since joining SDNA, I have actively visited customer sites, especially U.S.-based companies, to better understand their needs. One characteristic of many U.S. customers is that they often have a clear target, such as "we need this specification" or "we want to mold under these conditions." Because of this, we are frequently required to make accurate proposals that match each customer's specific requirements.
When we receive an inquiry, one thing I pay particular attention to is anticipating what information the customer will need next and providing it proactively. I try to clarify important points early, such as safety specifications, interfaces, peripheral equipment, and site-specific operating conditions. I then discuss these details with the relevant departments and align the direction for specifications and customization proposals. Through these efforts, we have received positive feedback on the quality of our sales and engineering support. I always share this feedback with the team, and it has become a strong source of motivation for our local members.
We will not be satisfied with the current situation. To continue being the most reliable partner for our customers in North America, we will further strengthen cross-functional collaboration and improve both the quality and speed of our proposals.
When I visit customer sites, I actively ask for feedback on our machines. Fortunately, we have received many positive comments from customers, such as "process set-up is simple and easy to handle," "the machine is durable and can be used with confidence," and "from valve-gate adjustment and process set-up to production start-up, the transition from delivery to mass production is quick, smooth, and stable." When I was working in Japan, I did not fully realize how strongly our machines were trusted in the U.S. market. Experiencing this directly at customer sites has become a great source of pride for me as someone working locally in North America.
Finally, I would like to introduce SDNA's locations and support framework. In addition to its main bases in Atlanta and Chicago, SDNA collaborates with partner companies to operate training and demo centers in California and Connecticut, providing support coverage across North America.
This structure has been steadily strengthened since the establishment of our U.S. subsidiary in 1980. A key milestone in this process was the integration with Van Dorn Demag Corp in 2008. With its long history and well-established presence in the U.S. market, Van Dorn Demag has contributed valuable expertise and a solid customer base, both of which have been incorporated into SDNA. Today, many of our engineers and service specialists come from the former Van Dorn Demag, bringing with them deep, market-rooted knowledge and a strong understanding of customer needs in North America.
With this foundation, we provide a practical, hands-on environment using actual machines, ensuring that even first-time users of Sumitomo injection molding machines can operate them with confidence. We offer operator and maintenance training, as well as comprehensive support from installation through to production start-up.
In addition, we can accommodate molding trials using customers' own molds, enabling us to provide support tailored to real production environments--another key strength of SDNA.
If you are considering expanding into the U.S. market or require local support, please feel free to contact us.
Over the past five installments, we have been sharing stories from expatriate staff at our overseas subsidiaries. Starting next time, we will bring you insights from interviews with our local team. We hope you will continue to follow the series.