Innovating Pet Care, Gex Goes Global

Imagine a world where living alongside animals not only brings joy but also contributes to a sustainable environment. Gex Corporation, under the leadership of President and CEO Gomi Hiroki, is turning this vision into reality. Founded in 1977, the company has transformed from an aquarium manufacturer into a comprehensive pet supplier, expanding its offerings to include products for small animals, dogs, cats and reptiles, and its philosophy is rooted in mutual enrichment between humans and animals.

"Our motto is 'Life with lives innovates future environments.' We set out our business with this strong belief in mind," says Mr. Hiroki. "The belief that the lives of animals enrich humans, and the lives of humans enrich animals."

The surge in pet ownership during the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of pets in people's lives, including healing, calming and emotional education benefits.

"During the period of the pandemic, consumers couldn’t go outside and needed to stay at home," Mr. Hiroki says. "Since people wanted to feel certain benefits that were hard to find, the demand for pets increased significantly."

Recognizing this trend, Gex has been actively pursuing international markets to expand its presence and create new partnerships.

"In the Southeast Asian market, we distribute our own brands through distributors," explains Mr. Hiroki. "Also, for the EU and North America, we have a partnership with Rolf C. Hagen Inc., based in Montreal, Canada, whereby we also distribute their global brands, EXOTERRA, CATIT and FLUVAL, in Japan.

"We find countries like India and Indonesia appealing for expansion," he adds, "where population growth is expected, and we can also predict the development of the pet industry. The United States, however, remains our largest market."

Innovation at Gex is driven by a team of passionate pet owners, with most of the staff members living with animals, and who really love being around animals. "It means that they seriously think about what customers want," says the president and CEO, who goes on to highlight that this dedication from the team has led to the development of award-winning products such as the All-In-One Aquarium, recognized for its ease of maintenance and animal-friendly features.

"By doing things like this, we can make customers happy and distribute something new to the industry," he adds.

Sustainability is a core aspect of Gex's strategy, aligning with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Since 2020, the company has been fully committed to these goals. Actively utilizing biomass in product development, particularly in the form of plastic for product parts, Gex considers itself a pioneer in introducing this material for pet supplies. Then there’s the potential future food crises, and related to this Gex has embraced insect-based alternative proteins.

"Conventionally, fish food is made with fish meal, and now we have replaced them with insect meal protein using black soldier fly larva," explains Mr. Hiroki, who adds that recycling efforts, turning broken glass aquariums into new glass products, have also garnered media attention.

Regarding initiative proposals, Gex is a strong supporter of pet ownership as a means to engage with green aspects of everyday life, and of connecting aquariums with education.

"We have promoted the idea that keeping pets provides opportunities to reflect on environmental issues and advocated that aquarium keeping is ideal for STEAM education," says Mr. Hiroki. "We conduct classes at kindergartens and elementary schools, and also support biology clubs at junior high and high schools."

A significant asset in Gex's global strategy is its Indonesia factory, LIMA TEKNO INDONESIA (LTI), established in 1996.

"Our factory in Indonesia was established as the core factory of the Gex Group," says Mr. Hiroki. Initially producing glass aquariums and air pumps, LTI began exporting to overseas markets in 2002. "Today, LTI integrates the Toyota Production System (TPS) to achieve efficient and high-quality manufacturing."

Employing approximately 350 people, LTI boasts a production capacity exceeding 3,000 aquariums per day. "A significant portion of the glass aquariums and small animal habitats distributed in Japan are manufactured at this facility," says the president and CEO. The factory's strength lies in its wide-ranging expertise across categories like glass, resin, electric products, filtration media and general products. "Our ability to combine these elements into innovative products serves as a competitive advantage over other companies," he explains.

Despite challenges posed by the pandemic, LTI expanded its facility in 2022 and moving forward aims to deliver high-quality pet products not only for the domestic market but also to North America, Europe and Asia.

Gex is also at the forefront of technological advancements in pet care, focusing on electronic products and Internet of Things (IoT) innovations.

"Our strength lies in our know-how with electronic products for cats and dogs," says Mr. Hiroki. "Recently, we have been focused on IoT, such as Auto Feeders, which can be controlled by a mobile phone. We believe that this will be our competitive advantage going forward."

Entering new international markets with electronic products, however, presents its own set of challenges due to differing voltage standards. "We started producing DC-type products, which meet different electric standards," Mr. Hiroki explains. "It is our thought that by continuing these kinds of developments, we will be able to apply our products to the global market."

While e-commerce plays a significant role in Gex's business strategy, the company emphasizes the importance of balancing online and offline experiences.

"Consumers can shop at any time using e-commerce platforms, which is a huge benefit," says Mr. Hiroki. "But we also believe in the importance of retail locations. This is vital for allowing customers to visit and touch the animals." And as customer engagement remains a priority, Gex is looking to bridge the gap by operating its own customer center allowing after-sales follow-up.

As it ponders what lies ahead, Gex is clearly committed to encouraging more people worldwide to discover the feeling many already know that comes from sharing life with animals.

"I am confident in the goodness of every pet owner, and I aspire to inspire everyone to experience the joy and fulfillment that comes with living alongside an animal," says Mr. Hiroki, with thoughts of continued innovation and expansion, as he seeks new partnerships to bring Gex’s vision to a global audience.

"Although we might have good ideas, without the technology to manufacture this and partners to distribute the product, it will remain simply that: an idea," he says. "It is all thanks to our partners that we are able to get our product out into the world."