Interview with the President and COO of HCM Group, Masafumi Senzaki

President and Chief Operating Officer of HCM Group, Masafumi Senzaki, joined the company in 1991 after graduating with a Master’s degree in mechanical engineering. His first job was in production engineering, through which he acquired a grounding in manufacturing, welding, painting and assembly. He then moved on to the manufacturing engineering department, where he learned about the entire plant operation.

Drawing on experience

As his career progressed, Mr Senzaki went on to gain experience in a range of other business disciplines, such as accounting, and has established factories in different countries. With almost 35 years under his hard hat, including two years in his current post, Mr Senzaki is perfectly placed to see how the construction industry has changed over the years, and the challenges it and HCM are likely to face going forward.

“Construction sites are completely different now compared to 30 years ago – they were dangerous and dirty,” he says. “Now we are pursuing the wellbeing of operators and workers on site to ensure their health and prosperity, as well as the earth and the cities we live in.”

Ensuring productivity and prosperity

For Mr Senzaki, guaranteeing customer safety, and a focus on improving life-cycle costs and productivity are among today’s most pressing issues. “We must ensure the productivity of the worker and contribute to the customer’s prosperity,” he adds. “And that is why we say that we’ll become a solution provider.”

HCM has an important role to play helping its customers overcome their challenges, which will require some creative thinking about collaboration within the industry. “We need to work together with the customer to resolve their issues – we need to have an open partnership with them,” says Mr Senzaki.

“We also need to find new partners that possess the technology we don’t have, and have an open relationship with them too so they become a member of our team or family group of companies. That’s the strategy for us to grow.”

Ready for the future

The President and COO believes the construction landscape and HCM will evolve over the coming years, thanks to technological change and competition.

“I think the business environment will become more stringent, and the emergence of Chinese manufacturers will be significant – as will electrification,” he explains. “If we become a solution provider to customers, have a good machine population, and a good touchpoint with customers, I’m sure our company will grow.”

Read an extended Q&A interview with Mr Senzaki in issue 34 of Ground Control magazine.