Central Tank Terminal was founded in Kobe in 1966 as Japan's first public terminal company. Since its inception, it has played a vital role in social infrastructure as a base for storing liquid chemicals that serve as raw materials for fuels and daily necessities. Our social role is to support the manufacturing industry, which accounts for approximately 20% of Japan's GDP, and to contribute to industrial activity and people's lives. Under the management philosophy of "storage and handling services that prioritize safety and security" and "growing together with our customers through the provision of services," we strive to enhance safety and expertise as professionals in handling hazardous materials, and to expand our scale and invest in facilities.Through several changes in shareholders and M&A,the number of terminals has increased to 12 locations nationwide, and we own 438 tanks. We have established a top position in the industry in terms of both scale and performance as a market share holder nationwide. In 2022, we became a subsidiary of the US investment fund KKR Group, and our overseas business is steadily expanding as well.
Maintaining the quality of goods from the time of arrival until their dispatch – this is the mission of our warehousing business. At our company, we are committed not only to strict storage conditions but also to the quality of our tanks, with stainless steel tanks, which have minimal impact on products, accounting for approximately 40% of our total. With the knowledge we have cultivated over many years and the ability to improve equipment as needed, we can store a wide range of products, from basic products such as petroleum products and basic chemicals to products that are difficult to handle, under conditions tailored to your requirements. Furthermore, the majority of our 12 terminals are situated in six major ports, contributing to improved customer convenience and increased efficiency in supply chains. We pride ourselves on providing high-quality services in both software and hardware aspects, and our ability to meet a wide range of needs.
Our company already boasts the industry's largest chemical tank storage capacity, and we plan to continue increasing the number of tanks in the future. In recent years, while the volume of imports of liquid chemicals has been on the rise, the construction and expansion of tanks in Japan is difficult due to legal regulations and locational conditions, resulting in a chronic shortage of storage capacity for the entire industry. However, our company is promoting the efficient redevelopment of idle land and the replacement of aging tanks, and we will continue these efforts in the future. In addition to supporting the volume of liquid chemicals, we will also focus even more on the storage of high-value-added products in small quantities and diverse varieties, such as raw materials for pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.
Improving employee satisfaction is just as essential as customer satisfaction. We will continue to strive to maintain a safe working environment for everyone on our terminals,and we will also work on system reforms that enhance the ease and motivation of each employee's work. In addition, we will focus on promoting the active participation of female employees in the workplace and increase the number working on-site. We also believe that refreshing the image of storage and cargo handling is an important mission for us.
Moving forward, we will continue to move forward without hesitation in the face of change in order to meet the diverse needs of our customers, and we will strive to further enhance our corporate value as a key player in social infrastructure.
President and Representative DirectorYasuka Miyakawa