After successfully overseeing its re-entry into the apparel sector, the Honma president hopes to reinvigorate the company, producing high-quality golf clubs that are in demand both at home and abroad.
A premium golf club manufacturer and lifestyle brand, Homna was first established in Yokohama in 1959 and is currently based in Sakata. Thanks to the efforts of its master craftsmen, its products are widely regarded as among the highest quality available on the market today.
Company President Norio Ogawa explains how a small Japanese firm is able to compete with some of the biggest names in the business: “Within the domestic market, we have our own strategy and approach. The mindset of many Japanese companies, including Honma, is to find a niche market and make that niche its own. Once a niche becomes popular within the domestic market, it will soon spread around the world. Securing the domestic market, in other words, offers a path to take our products overseas.”
He continues: “All golf club manufacturers are trying to achieve standardization that best suits a target customer, and our core focus right now is simplicity.”
Still, simplicity need not stand for stagnation, and since beginning its in-house production of golf equipment in 1978, Honma has embraced various new technologies and techniques to help alleviate the burden on its 250-strong team of craftsmen. Indeed, as Mr. Ogawa states, the equipment Honma uses actually helps the company to “preserve some of the traditional ways of manufacturing,” enforcing both high precision and efficiency.
Team of craftsmen in Sakata
Most recently, this commitment to innovation has seen the company adopt the industry's first high-strength carbon sheet as part of its popular Beres series. These sheets were used for clubs such as the ARMRQ FX SHAFT as skilled craftsmen hand-wound the carbon sheet to make them.
Mr. Ogawa expands on the benefits: “The ARMRQ FX SHAFT was adopted specifically for our Beres series and targets more elderly golfers with mid-range handicaps. Previously we layered ten sheets of carbon fiber to retain strength and stability, but with the adoption of new types of carbon fiber, we can reduce the number of carbon sheets required to achieve the same strength. “This has enabled us to create clubs with the same strength while at the same time making them more lightweight.”
Looking to the future, Mr. Ogawa is keen to consolidate the company's newfound presence in the apparel sector. “We have high expectations for our apparel business,” he states, “and will be focusing on athletics for the next few seasons while we continue to work on our concept. Once that is more clear, we can start investing in marketing to increase our value and create awareness among consumers.”
Excitingly, he confirms that the company is planning to collaborate with two major international brands, both of which are “niche” and “very high-quality.”
Mr. Ogawa is hopeful that such developments will imbue the company with a new lease of life: “Currently we are surviving, but for me that isn't enough. As matters stand, we are not in the top five brands in the market. If, however, we can crack that top five, we can generate a lot more money which we can then reinvest into the business, creating a brand that our customers are proud to use and own.”
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