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Kintetsu World Express (Philippines) Inc. marks 25th anniversary
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From a joint venture with a 28-strong staff, KWE Phils now employs more than 400 personnel
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It also operates 11 offices, 13 warehouses and three wholly owned subsidiaries
Kintetsu World Express (Philippines) Inc. (KWE Phils) recently celebrated its 25th year, a remarkable journey to the top that broke boundaries.
From its beginnings in 1998 as a joint venture company between its parent KWE Japan and its Philippine partner Commercial Freight Service Inc. with only 28 employees, KWE Phils has grown to be one of the top players in the country’s logistics industry.
Backed by the strength of KWE global network, the Philippine unit now has more than 400 personnel, 11 offices, 13 warehouses and three wholly-owned subsidiaries.
As the company marked its 25th anniversary, its management, led by president Kei Maehira, and staff looked back to the long and arduous struggle they had endured to raise KWE’s brand equity in the local forwarding and logistics industry.
The Philippine unit opened in June 25, 1998 with offices in Parañaque, Cavite, Laguna, Subic, and Cebu, with Keisuke Kimoto at the helm.
A year later, Kimoto set up Kintetsu World Express (Subic) Inc. warehousing company inside the Subic Bay Freeport Zone as a wholly owned subsidiary of KWE Philippines.
KWE Phils became the first freight forwarder in the country to obtain the ISO 9001 certification in 2000.
Satellite offices in Baguio and Clark were established two years later.
Then in 2004, the company became the first freight forwarder in the Philippines to be certified to the Integrated Management System (ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001).
In 2007, KWE Japan took the Philippine subsidiary on a giant stride in its history when the parent bought out the local partner, Commercial Freight Service, to turn the remnant of the joint venture into a 100% Japanese freight forwarding company wholly owned KWE Japan.
In the same year, Kintetsu World Express (Clark) Inc. was set up. Housed in a 5,000-square-meter warehouse facility, KWE Clark caters to the vendor-managed inventory (VMI) and logistics needs of clients at the Clark Freeport Zone. The warehouse has since expanded to 8,000 sqm by 2016.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, KWE Phils operated 24/7 amid the many uncertainties, in support of both employees and clients.
When Super Typhoon Rolly and Typhoon Ulysses, hit Luzon on November 2 and 11, 2020, respectively, KWE Phils delivered aid to the victims. With contribution from the company, staff volunteers bought 50 sacks of rice, 265 gallons of drinking water, and 100 boxes of face masks. They loaded most of the stuff, along with donations of used clothing, blankets and shoes that filled a total of 50 big boxes, on company trucks and distributed the goods to distressed residents of Barangays San Antonio, Lingaling and Divisoria in Isabela and Barangays Maddarulug, Atulayan and Palagao Sur in Cagayan in Northeastern Luzon.
A portion of the relief goods went to residents of Brgy. San Jose in Rodriguez, Rizal, while more than 100 food packs were distributed to affected families in Brgy. Doña Tomasa, Guinobatan, Albay, in the Bicol region.
“We are thrilled to commemorate our 25th anniversary in the Philippines. This milestone is a testament to the dedication of our employees, the trust of our clients, and the support of our stakeholders. We remain committed to delivering world-class freight forwarding and logistics services while adapting to the ever-evolving needs of the industry,” company president Maehira said.
Looking ahead, he said KWE PH is determined to continue its growth trajectory and embrace innovation to provide cutting-edge logistics solutions.
