With proven expertise in energy conservation and environmental management, Thai Takasago is an innovative solution provider, fast becoming one of Asia’s largest operators in its niche. Managing Director Mr. Takeshi Sameshima discusses the importance of stability in the midst of rapid growth.
Thai Takasago was established in 1984 and headquartered in Samutprakarn, just south of Bangkok. It has built a diverse client base across Thailand. Working primarily in factory spaces, but also mixed-used buildings, hotels, data centres, power plants, and laboratories, the company utilises in-house research and development to create sector-leading technologies.
The company’s “Clean Room” systems generate bacteria and dust-free environments for everything from electronic component manufacturers to medical or surgical spaces. “Dry Room” solutions, on the other hand, control the moisture content in the air. This application is commonly used in telecoms, hybrid vehicle construction, medical devices, or UPS (uninterruptable power supply). In addition to these services, Thai Takasago specialises in sophisticated HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning), mechanical or plumbing systems, and process utility systems that cool water and compress air.
The company not only builds and installs these systems but also responds to client consultations regarding optimal energy management.
Current MD of Thai Takasago Takeshi Sameshima took up his present role in 2021, an opportunity he was eager to grasp.
“The company had been established for 38 years” Takeshi explains. “And I felt it already played an important role in the industrial landscape, especially in Thailand. I came to the company from Takasago Thermal Engineering in Japan and believed I could help to introduce a broader outlook.”
Takeshi entered a company that had experienced extremely rapid growth over the previous five years. While he understood implicitly that his role would involve continuing and even accelerating that growth, he also recognised that it was important to embed himself in the Thai Takasago culture. It is a company with a very strong identity.
“The most important thing is to understand the core of the company,” he explains. “The company has an important role to play and employs more than three hundred people, so I wanted to consider how we might re-organise to maximise our efficiency. I knew that we could optimise our structure to enable our people to reach their highest potential.”
Having felt his way into the role and established the foundations for progression, thoughts quickly turned to the future. The company’s upward trajectory needed to be sustained. With the world opening back up in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, it was clear that opportunities would arise which had to be grasped.
Now that restrictions are lifting, it is important to meet as many potential customers as possible.
“In this way, we can show them the level of our innovations and how Thai Takasago can benefit their operations. Our Clean Room and Dry Room technologies have become our main products and are market-leading, so it is important to continue to promote them as much as we can. It is also very important to us to show how our systems can help companies to meet their sustainable development goals (SDGs). Our products such as water electrolyser to generate hydrogen and biomass power plants, which create clean energy and renewable energy, are very much in line with this and can help to decrease CO2 emissions and other pollution.”
While Thai Takasago takes a leading role in its region and sector, Takeshi has identified some areas of development in order to fully deliver on his targets. The intention is for these to be addressed within the next twelve to eighteen months. In this way, he believes a further period of sustained growth will be instigated.
“We are clearly differentiated from our competitors in class through our products,” Takeshi explains. “For example, our SWIT system is a kind of spatial air conditioning with swirling induction. It is an energy-saving air conditioning product unique to us. Another example is the LOMA IoT sensing system that helps to improve operations based on machines performance data collected by the system.”
The SWIT creates a pure, fresh air environment and does this while cutting the amount of airflow in comparison with other air conditioning solutions. Not only does this reduce energy consumption and cost. It is also cheaper to install.
“However, we need to expand our leading technologies more and more. This is something for us to focus on in the near future. We can also develop more, in terms of a consultancy role. While we work with many customers to improve the environments they already have, we need to partner more closely with construction companies. I feel in this way we can embed our improvements in the drawing and planning stages and make them an integral part of new-build projects.”
Essentially, Thai Takasago as a corporate entity is entirely invested in the quality of its products and its position in the marketplace. Especially so, considering the global sustainability focus and increased hygiene concerns resulting from the pandemic. As work buildings of all kinds need to tighten hygiene precautions, Thai Takasago’s products become ever more relevant. This is especially true when it is considered that airflow and ventilation are crucial in combatting the spread of Covid 19.
“Yes, we believe, one hundred percent, in what we are doing,” Takeshi says proudly. “And the company always has, but recent global events have intensified that. These issues are extremely important. That means our corporate story is one that is essential for everyone, across the whole planet.”
As with any company involved with design and assembly, relationships with suppliers form an integral part of Thai Takasago’s DNA. The stability and quality of these relationships are decisive factors in the company’s ongoing success. Naturally, Takeshi places huge importance on continuing this focus.
We work with them together and set policies together. It is very important to know what they are doing, what their priorities are, and so on.
These relationships enabled Thai Takasago to mitigate some of the more complicated effects of the pandemic. Like most countries Thailand has cycled in and out of lockdown since the early months of 2020, causing widespread disruption to all forms of business. While supply chains were interrupted worldwide, the company was able to continue production and minimise disruption to its day-to-day activities, due to the stability of its relationships. This means the company can face the future with justifiable confidence.
“Here at Thai Takasago, we are making a contribution,” Takeshi concludes. “We are here to help with humanity’s biggest challenges, climate change, pandemics, and so on. Our products and services cannot be separated from this. And what could be more important than that?”
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