MGB Challenges the world with the best design and best manufacturing
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Press release: April 1, 2024
April Dream Project
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Challenge the world with the best design and the best manufacturing *“Let all kinds of manufacturing related to Japanese design and interiors become viable businesses and take them to the world” – this is the management philosophy of Marni Global Branding Co., Ltd. (MGB). *
This press release is a dream sent out by a business operator who sympathizes with the April Dream project and wants to make April 1st a day full of dreams, hoping to make them come true.
[image: download] d89761-6-360700ba4b02370ce561fd83c16d4f7e.pdf MGB Representative Director Sohei Oya, Nacasa & Partners Inc. (Photography: Sohei Oya, Nacasa & Partners Inc.)
Our company supports April Dream, which aims to make April 1st the day to share your dreams. This press release is titled “Marni Global Branding (MGB)
” is a dream.
“I want to create a furniture brand that can compete on an equal footing with European and American furniture brands, even if it’s just one company from Japan!” In 2009, Representative Director Kanda transferred to Maruni Woodworking Co., Ltd. with this idea in mind. We established an overseas business division and traveled around the world, working hard to promote exports and increase brand awareness. As a result, the company’s maruni brand has been expanded to 30 countries around the world, and we have had the opportunity to deliver thousands of HIROSHIMA armchairs representing maruni to Apple’s headquarters.
Photography: Nacasa & Partners Inc.
As one of Japan’s leading furniture brands, maruni has been able to build a brand with a strong presence mainly in Europe. However, if you look around, there are very few cases where Japan’s excellent manufacturing has the same presence overseas. The know-how needed to expand overseas, such as specialized trade knowledge, language skills, understanding of business practices, brand strategy, and marketing skills, is not something that can be easily built, and building overseas sales channels is the most important task for many Japanese manufacturers. I started to realize that this is one of the hurdles.
I would like to utilize the specialized knowledge and know-how that I have used for one brand to contribute to the people who make things in Japan. With this strong desire, we established Marni Global Branding Co., Ltd. (commonly known as MGB) on March 5, 2018. This also reflects the desire of the parent company, Maruni Wood Industry, to “build up the Japanese furniture manufacturing industry as a whole, use Japan’s comprehensive strength to expand overseas, and promote the
revitalization of the industry.” It was established.
MGB set out on the ocean with high hopes, but the year after its founding, the trade friction between the United States and China worsened, and the company’s business performance declined and the company found itself in a difficult situation. We vowed to rise to the top, and embarked on the third year as a critical moment. Immediately after that, the 2020 pandemic plunged the entire world into chaos. Many countries have gone into lockdown, and those of us who used to travel overseas for a third of the year are now forced to stay in Japan. Normally, this may be a situation where you are confused as to what to do. However, the members of MGB knew how to turn a crisis into an opportunity. I thought that now was a good time to work on innovation (new business) while I had to stay still in Japan.
That’s when a project called “KOYORI” began. There is still a lot of excellent manufacturing in Japan. Moreover, many of Japan’s leading furniture manufacturers each have different factory characteristics. If companies that normally compete with each other join hands and MGB is able to provide them with the capabilities, expertise, and know-how that will enable them to expand overseas, it may be possible for Japanese furniture manufacturers to I think we can create a global brand unlike any other in the history of the industry.
Based on this idea and wish, Ronan and Erwan, world-renowned designers and architects from far away in Europe,
With the support of Bouroullec and GamFratesi, as well as Tendo Mokko and Hida Sangyo, which boast a solid history and technological capabilities in Japan, a completely new global alliance brand “KOYORI” was born in 2022.
The first collection was presented at the Triennale Museum in Milan, and the second year’s collection was presented at 3daysofdesign in Copenhagen, and the company has now expanded to 13 countries.
Exhibition view at the 2022 international launch. At the Triennale Museum in Milan. (Photography: ALBERTO PARISE)
As a company operating in overseas markets, we believe that Japanese manufacturing, whether traditional or modern, is backed by advanced craftsmanship and diligent quality control, ensuring precision, functionality, and durability. I feel that our products are trusted and accepted as high-quality products that have all of these features at a high level. In particular, traditional techniques and history add to the charm and are perceived as having a unique mystique, and a high degree of interest is being expressed.
Exhibition view during the 3daysofdesign event in 2023. An exhibition that created a rock garden and made chairs look like sculptures became a hot topic.
Today, as people around the world have easier access to all kinds of information, there are more opportunities to come into contact with Japanese manufacturing, and Japan’s unique traditional culture and advanced craftsmanship are different from overseas craftsmanship. Because of its appeal as a different added value, many of our business partners agree with KOYORI’s brand background and Japanese
manufacturing philosophy.
Kanda and designers giving a presentation to a large number of guests at the 2023 3daysofdesign event.
There are currently two furniture manufacturers collaborating with KOYORI, but we believe that Japanese manufacturing still has a lot of potential.
Some furniture manufacturers may have different factory
characteristics, or may want to convey Japanese manufacturing through interior accessories and small items. We are researching new collaboration partners, holding meetings with world-class designers who will collaborate with us, and continuing our activities to take KOYORI even further on the world stage.
Photography: TOSH SHINTANI (SHIKI)
Photography: TOSH SHINTANI (SHIKI)
“We will take all kinds of manufacturing related to Japanese design and interiors to the world in the form of a successful business” – Together with the many people who create things in Japan, we will bring the best design and the best manufacturing to the world stage. Our dream is to continue to make our challenges come true.
“April Dream” is a PR event where companies send out their dreams that they would like to achieve in the future on April 1st.
This is a project by TIMES. We are seriously aiming to make this dream come true.
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