Spider Plus Co., Ltd. President and CEO Kenji Ito

2025.05.13

Bringing innovation to the construction industry with DX tools

President and CEO of Spider Plus Co., Ltd. 伊藤謙自(Ito Kenji)

■ Profile
Kenji Ito Born August 4, 1973 (51)

He grew up in Monbetsu, Hokkaido. After graduating from high school, he moved to Tokyo and worked in sales at a construction materials trading company and in thermal insulation construction management before founding Ito Kogyo in 1997. He personally experienced the slow adoption of IT in the construction industry, and with the arrival of tablets, he started an IT business targeting the construction industry. His passion for manufacturing began with building Gundam plastic models as a child. He always keeps the perspective of a construction site in mind, and his motto for product development is "Make it so that even I can understand it."

While running his original thermal insulation construction business, Ito keenly felt the construction industry's lack of digitalization, with its many paper drawings and slow information sharing, and succeeded in improving on-site efficiency and productivity by developing an app. What was the inspiration behind his invention, which became the first step in changing the way the entire industry works? We asked him about a wide range of topics, from what inspired him to talk about the company's overall work style and his future outlook.

When I was in elementary school, I was obsessed with manga, drawing, and building Gundam plastic models, which were popular at the time, and I was more passionate about finishing them carefully than anyone else. In my third year of junior high school, I was drawn to hard rock and started playing the guitar, and in high school I formed a band with a friend and was immersed in music every day.
After graduating, he left his hometown and moved to Tokyo with the desire to become a company president himself, influenced by his grandfather and father who were entrepreneurs.~~Living~~Even though I had just graduated, I was able to work for a company with good conditions. There, I gained experience in the insulation sales department. After two and a half years, I changed jobs to a thermal insulation construction company, where I became involved in management such as site management and estimates. During this time, I thought, "I can do this myself," and decided to go independent. I trained under a very skilled master for a year, and at the age of 24, I went independent as a sole master. Just like back when I was devoted to plastic models and painting, I was particular about the appearance of my insulation work, and I believed in doing my work carefully.

■ Focusing on overseas expansion and IT

Work was progressing very smoothly, but I thought that in order to expand the business further, I should be in a position where I have more responsibility and discretion as a "prime contractor," so I incorporated the company in 1999. After that, as I gained more experience in the field, my track record gradually improved. I think that the interpersonal skills, such as the ability to think about how to communicate in a way that resonates with others, and sales and negotiation abilities that I had developed while playing in a band in high school, came in handy.
Another major turning point came when a materials supplier I knew approached me and said, "I want to introduce Armaflex, a foam rubber insulation material that is mainstream overseas, to Japan." After that, we were registered as the first officially certified installer by Armacell, and received high praise within the industry. This made a big impression on me.
Furthermore, given the dot-com bubble at the time, I was exploring the possibility of incorporating IT into the construction industry, a sector with little innovation. The arrival of the first iPad marked a turning point. I was struck by the convenience of the cloud, which allowed me to freely view and update data anywhere, and I realized that it could be used to streamline cost estimation, which was my biggest headache at the time. By eliminating paper drawings and managing them digitally, I could eliminate storage space and instantly access data on-site. Even more fortunate was my connection with the managing director of a construction company. As I discussed my concept, I was given the opportunity to present my vision in front of 80 executives from a major company. This was a truly significant opportunity, and it became an experience that would significantly change the course of my business. Initial reactions were somewhat lukewarm, but the company's IT promotion office approached me. They needed to streamline the organization of on-site photos and the creation of reports, so I proposed a system that would allow the entire process, from taking photos to printing, to be completed on an iPad. In fact, a task that had previously taken several hours was now completed in 30 minutes, and I received high praise on-site. When we released it on the App Store shortly after the launch of the iPad2, I was convinced that this was really going to work. Eliminating paper from the construction industry. That was the moment I began to seriously pursue that dream.

■ Becoming a listed company even with zero knowledge

Originally, I knew absolutely nothing about IT, so I struggled to create an app that could be understood without a manual, but at the time, there was still a deep-rooted distrust of the cloud, and there were many voices on the ground saying, "We'll lose trust if an information leak occurs."Even so, companies that passed the security check appeared and said, "Let's give it a try," and we were able to build trust by working on joint development with various major companies.
A major turning point was the policy change of the super general contractors. When the five major companies in the industry announced a policy of "using tablets to increase on-site productivity from now on," inquiries to our company suddenly increased. It was really tough for about five years, but we managed to overcome it and, while keeping fundraising to a minimum, went public in three and a half years. We began to attract attention as the first listed company in Japan in the field of construction digital transformation.

■ Capitalizing on the appeal of the construction industry, we will expand our DX tools overseas

I always tell all of my employees that "work is where you spend the most time of your life, so I want you to approach it with joy and a positive attitude." With this in mind, we hold events such as semi-annual employee meetings and New Year's calligraphy events, and we place great importance on relationships within the company. Thanks to this, our employees get along well with each other, and I feel that our good teamwork is a major strength.
What's also appealing about the construction industry is that the work we do leaves a tangible mark on the city. I personally feel very proud when I see a building completed using an app we developed in-house. The construction industry is an industry that can attract people's attention and inspire them through its shape and beauty. The sense of accomplishment at the moment a building is completed is irreplaceable.
In the future, we would like to provide DX tools and products on a wider scale. DX in the construction industry has only just begun, and there are many overseas construction companies where IT adoption has not progressed at all. As a first step, we have now established a subsidiary in Vietnam and are in the process of expanding the business.

■Message to university students

I think what's important when you enter society is communication skills and strengths that no one can beat. It's a good idea to find something you love and pursue it to the fullest, or occasionally take action to acquire special skills other than studying.

Student Newspaper Online 2025 Coverage by Denenchofu Futaba High School 3rd Year Rinka Ito