Manage Partner Co., Ltd. President and CEO Katsushi Matsui

"It's an annoying company, isn't it? (laughs) But we give our all to both work and play, which is why we get results."

Profile

Katsufumi Matsui
Born in Yubari, Hokkaido in 1970.
After gaining experience at Fuso Lexel Co., Ltd. (Daikyo Group) and Horoun Co., Ltd., he became Executive Vice President of Matsui Building Co., Ltd. in 1997. The following year, he became Executive Vice President of Matsui Building Services Co., Ltd.
In 2003, he changed the company name from Matsui Building Services Co., Ltd. to Manage Partner Co., Ltd. and became its president and representative director. He transitioned from building ownership to real estate management. In 2015, he established Matsui Building Group Co., Ltd. and became its president and representative director.

■Please tell us about your company's business.

We are a real estate company specializing in Sapporo. We have been in business for 48 years. As we have been in business locally for so long, we have an unrivaled advantage over other companies in that we have a wealth of information and have earned the trust of our customers. We own 17 buildings and also undertake building management work for clients who own income-generating buildings and apartments, as well as condominium management associations. We also carry out renovations and building maintenance inspections. The real estate business is an amazing job with great responsibility, allowing us to be present at turning points in our customers' lives.

■What was your student life like?

I've been playing little league baseball since I was in the third grade of elementary school. When I entered junior high school, I wanted to try a sport other than baseball, so I started playing volleyball. It was in the old days, so I was pushed hard and beaten, but I still managed to compete in the national tournament. My years of experience in sports club activities gave me a hungry spirit. After graduating from high school, I moved to Tokyo to attend a vocational school. While I was a vocational school student, I really just played all the time and didn't study. Because of this, I never looked for a job or had a part-time job. I really didn't think about anything when I was a student (laughs).

■What did you do after graduation?

After graduating from vocational school, I got a job. Thanks to my parents' connections, I was able to get a job at a real estate company. Once I entered the workforce, I immediately experienced cold calling and telephone sales. I really hated cold calling every day. To be honest, it was a bit of a black company, and many of my colleagues quit. However, I didn't want to give up halfway, so I worked frantically with the feeling that "I have no choice!" I just kept working at it, and as a result, I became the top sales performer in the company. Because I was constantly being pressured by the numbers, it took a toll on me mentally, but I was able to grow a lot.

I think the most exciting thing about the real estate business is that we handle products worth hundreds of millions of yen in a single transaction. Some customers even sign contracts with trembling hands, so I felt happy to be involved in work that is so important to their lives.　
After that, my parents' business started to go into the red, so I was asked to come back and became involved in the management of the company. After that, I founded Manage Partner Co., Ltd. and was involved in everything from rebuilding the company's philosophy to building connections.


■What is the appeal of Managing Partner?

We changed our corporate philosophy to the theme "Employees are Family." We truly treat our employees like family, and we want to give them opportunities to experience things that most people don't. That's why we "play properly," planning trips overseas to places like Las Vegas and even writing scripts for company events. We're serious about both work and play. All of our employees are united like family. While it's difficult to go out now due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we usually have a lot of drinking parties, and everyone drinks until around 2 or 3 in the morning. It's a really annoying company (laughs). We spend hours working together, so we want to have fun and get along. The lively drinking parties are proof that all our employees are working hard to improve the company.

■When do you feel rewarded as a president?

Being a president is truly full of hardships. You have to instantly assess everything from small to big things and make accurate decisions, so the number of hardships is truly endless. But what blows away all those hardships is the growth of your employees. Everyone is striving for high goals, and when they achieve them, you feel a sense of accomplishment and joy. The most rewarding thing is seeing an employee grow, such as being promoted to a supervisor. This is why I can't quit being a president, even though there are hardships.

■What kind of person would you like to have as your right-hand man?

Because we're busy, we need young people who understand how we do things and who are considerate and thoughtful. It's rare to find students like this. We already have some excellent right-hand men, but it would be great if we could find young people like this to join us. There are many people in the world who are good at their jobs. There are many people who can do what they're told, but it's rare to find someone who is considerate and thoughtful. If you're with me, you'll develop a sense and sensibility for what managers and customers are thinking and what they want. You'll start hearing "No way, no way" comments. Things like, "Okay, I'm going on a business trip to America now!" (laughs).

And of course, I'm looking for someone who wants to become a manager. If the young person who will become their right-hand man turns out to be even more talented than I expected, I'll invest in and support them. I'd like to support them in any field. Or I'd like them to take over the company that I have now.

■Please give us a message for university students

I think most college students out there say, "I don't know what to do." And that's fine. If you're a college student who's worried about not knowing what you want to do, I think the best thing to do is to just try anything without knowing. After all, you all have a powerful weapon: your youth. You have time to try, and if you fail, you have time to recover. No matter how much money I have, I can't buy youth.

So, try your best at everything. As you get older, you'll get sleepy and won't be able to do anything (lol). You won't get anywhere if you stay at home, so I think it's better to meet lots of people, interact with them, and have a variety of experiences while you're a university student. If you have time to worry, take action!

Student Newspaper WEB October 30, 2020 coverage

Ohashi Seinan, 3rd year student at Nihon University

Nihon University, 3rd year Ohashi Seinan / Toyo University, 2nd year Kojima Naomi / Simon Fraser University, 2nd year Murata Miho / Nihon University, 3rd year Tsujiuchi Kaisei / Teikyo University, 2nd year Goto Koryu