2014 New Year Message from President Mitsuyoshi Shibata
- “Challenges” and “Action” to Achieve Targets for our 130th Anniversary -

January 6, 2014

Happy New Year!
First of all I would like to express my gratitude to all of the employees of the Furukawa Electric Group, located in 27 countries throughout the world, for the effort you put in every day to contribute to the Group.

Unveiling our Medium-Term Management Plan

Looking at the world economy, the EU continued to experience negative growth, while growth in China and other emerging economies began to slow. However, during my visits to growth regions I got the impression of incredible energy and enthusiasm. In Japan, there was some positive news for the first time in several years, including signs that the economy entered a recovery phase in early 2013 thanks to the so-called Abenomics effect, and the selection of Tokyo to host the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics.

Under these circumstances, in April the Furukawa Electric Group announced its Medium-term Management Plan Furukawa G plan 2015. The plan prioritizes working together as a Group to achieve sustainable growth through "One Furukawa," and sets out three goals: structural reform, strengthening Group/global management and growth strategies.

Renewed determination to take on "Challenges" in everything we do

2014 sees the 130th Anniversary of the founding of Furukawa Electric. In an attempt to achieve his mission of "Making Japan Brighter," our founder Furukawa Ichibei sought to incorporate new and advanced technologies from overseas, to make copper products that outperformed foreign products, and even to carry out overseas exports. He was determined to open up a new age with passion and decisiveness to achieve his mission.

130th Anniversary

When Ichibei was asked to create a Furukawa philosophy he replied that the following three things were enough: "Value people," "Value customers and society" and "Incorporate the latest technology." In other words, this means encouraging people to value health, safety and compliance, contribute to customers and society through our work, and continuing to take on every conceivable challenge in order to achieve this. We need to take on all possible challenges as we seek to achieve our goals. In our era, we need to inherit Ichibei's strong spirit and strive towards making an even greater global contribution.

"Action" underpinned by a greater sense of speed and independence

This year is an extremely important year for us to build a firm base for the sustainable growth of the Furukawa Electric Group in the future. Please maintain the conviction that if "all companies throughout the world," "all departments" and "all employees" receiving this message achieve their goals, instead of letting "another departments" or "somebody else" do it, our cumulative efforts will help the Group succeed in achieving its goals. More than anything, we need to persevere in putting this approach into practice in a thorough way.

Lastly, I hope that this year is one in which you and your family fulfill your potential in a happy and healthy way, taking good care of your health and safety.