H.E. Mr. Hiroyuki Kishino, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Ethiopia together with the Kaizen Team including Ato Getahun Tadesse, Head of the Kaizen Unit and members of the Unit at the Ministry of Industry, Professor Kenichi Ohno, Professor Izumi Ohno from the Graduate and Research Institute of Policy Study (GRIPS), Mr. Ota Koji, Resident Representative, JICA  Ethiopia Office, as well as members from JICA Headquarters visited the Matador Addis Tire Company P.L.C. on 18 May 2011.

When the delegation members arrived at the Company located in Addis Ababa for a site visit, they were warmly received by Ato Belay Dechassa, General Manager of Matador Addis Tire Company P.L.C.

The company is one of the thirty pilot companies of the first phase of ‘Kaizen’ project on which JICA and the Ministry of Industry collaborated since 2010 to improve quality and productivity. The company has been receiving advice from Japanese experts dispatched by JICA on how to improve day-to-day operations as well as management using Kaizen methods.

In Japanese, ‘Kaizen’ means ‘continuous improvement’ or ‘change for the better,’ and refers to a philosophy or methodology that focuses on eliminating waste or inefficiency by emphasizing continuous improvement in manufacturing, management and business practices. It typically involves all employees of a company from the Chief Executive Officer to assembly-line workers.

The delegation was taken on a tour of the factory following a briefing by the General Manager on the outline of the Company and the ‘Kaizen’ activities at Matador Addis Tire Company P.L.C. H.E. the Ambassador and the members of the Kaizen Team expressed their satisfaction at the implementation of ‘Kaizen’ and encouraged the company to continue applying the ‘Kaizen’ methods. Matador Addis Tire Company is among good performing companies engaged with Kaizen.