Akira Kondo, President and CEO of Hinokiya Group Co., Ltd.

2024.07.23

Don't be confined to a box. Be curious and question everything.

President and CEO of Hinokiya Group Co., Ltd.　Akira Kondo(Akira Kondo)

■ Profile

Born in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture in 1967. After graduating from Keio University, he worked for a major life insurance company and a foreign insurance company before joining East Japan New House Co., Ltd., the predecessor of Hinokiya Group Co., Ltd., in 2001. After serving as Senior Managing Director and Vice President, he was appointed Representative Director and President of Hinokiya Jyutaku Co., Ltd. (now Hinokiya Group Co., Ltd.) in 2009, a position he holds to this day.

The Hinokiya Group is the creator of "Z Air Conditioning," a residential whole-house air conditioning system that overturns conventional concepts. They have promoted the appeal of their flagship product, Z Air Conditioning, to the world, and are delivering their dream homes to many people. The current president, Akira Kondo, jumped into the housing industry at the age of 32 with no prior experience. We spoke to Akira Kondo about his experiences from his student days until he became president, his path to developing Z Air Conditioning, and his thoughts on home building and his work.

■All of my experiences have led me to the present

During my student days, I focused on clubs and part-time jobs, and also held events with many sponsors. Through these experiences, I think I naturally learned about money-making and branding. Also, the economy was good during my time, so I went to the United States for about a month. I still vividly remember what I saw and felt there.
After graduating from university, I got a job at an insurance company. It was a company steeped in traditional Japanese culture, and when I saw my boss, I felt a disconnect between my ideals and the person I wanted to be. I also felt like I couldn't see any future prospects, so after about two years, I left for a foreign insurance company. It was an unknown company, but I found selling new products fulfilling, and I stayed there for seven years. While I was still working there, I got married, and at age 32, I joined my father-in-law's company, despite having no prior experience. From the start, I was given managerial-like responsibilities, but since I had managed people in my previous job, it wasn't a problem. While working and studying at our company, I realized something. I had always thought that the larger a company was, the cheaper it could sell its products, but the opposite is true in the housing industry. Larger companies tend to charge higher prices, while smaller companies tend to charge lower prices. When I realized this, I found it interesting, and it also sparked my desire to offer high-quality products at reasonable prices.

■ Always seeking change and innovation

The appeal of our company is undoubtedly our Z air conditioning. It can keep the temperature in your home comfortable all year round, and the temperature doesn't change in the entrance, dressing room, or hallway, so it's a total air conditioning system that's kind to your body and your wallet. We've even obtained a patent. It took about three to four years to establish Z air conditioning. I built my own house soon after joining the company, but because I insisted on creating an open ceiling, it ended up being a very uncomfortable space, too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. I began to wonder why I couldn't maintain a comfortable temperature.
The turning point came when I met a company (Nippon Aqua) that makes foam-in-place (spray-applied) insulation materials. It was just around the time when global warming was becoming a global issue, and attention was being paid to insulation materials. So I thought, "If we use foam-in-place insulation materials, we can keep the temperature in the house comfortable and also save energy." The coincidence of building a house, global warming, and meeting an insulation material company all came together, leading to the development of Z Air Conditioning.
When starting something new, the most important thing is to think for yourself and realize what you think should be done. I have also come this far by always pursuing the ideal home. I don't think my ideas came from trying to differentiate myself from other companies, but rather, I think that what has set me apart from other companies is the result of making the ideal home my top priority. In fact, when I look back on my history, I have never thought of it as a major crisis. I think the reason for this is that I am always seeking change and innovation.
I became president at the age of 42, and my father-in-law, the previous president, told me the following: "By the time I turn 50, I want the company's sales to reach 1000 billion yen and its profits to reach 50 billion yen." I was surprised that he said this in front of all the employees. But looking back, I'm glad he said it. At the time, our company's sales were around 160 billion yen, and its profits were around 7 to 8 million yen. However, I worked hard from there, and we were able to achieve operating profit of 50 billion yen, and recently it has reached 75 billion yen. I believe this was achieved because of my desire to "build the ideal home" and my constant desire for change and innovation.

■We want to work with people who have the ability to get things done.

People who think carefully and act on their own. I want to work with people like that. I feel like many Japanese people work with the mindset of just doing what they're told. However, this will ruin a company. For example, if there are rules, I think you need to think about whether those rules have meaning. If they do, you need to follow them. However, I don't think it's right to follow them without questioning them just because "it's been that way for a long time" or "it's the way the world is." Don't stop thinking, but question and be interested in everything. It's okay to make mistakes or fail, so just think about it and try doing what comes to mind. I believe that people like that will lead the company in a better direction.

■Message to university students

I believe that the coming era will require us to think carefully for ourselves. What will happen to Japan, what will the world be like, and what kind of jobs will be needed? We need to think about these things. When I first entered the workforce, we could get by by just doing what we were told. However, that will no longer be the case. We are now in an era where we need to think about many things and act on them. I've said this many times before, but no matter what you do, it's important not to stop thinking, but to always be interested and curious about various things, and put your ideas into action. Doing this repeatedly will lead to your own growth and create possibilities in new fields. I hope that all students will always maintain this attitude.

Interviewed by Student Newspaper Online on October 30, 2024 by Maruyama Mitomo, a second-year student at International Christian University