Only the best filter through Vantech Co., Ltd

More than 60 years ago, the predecessor of Vantech Co., Ltd was Kabutogi Manufacturing Co., Ltd, which forayed into manufacturing fountain-pen nibs. Machines pressed out the metal parts but assembly was done by hand, so when mass production by larger pen-makers took over, the company decided to switch over to metal filters. "We were able to use the same machines," explains Toru Oshima, Vantech's current CEO.

Some years later, the decision has proven a wise one: the company ships some three million filters every month, and Vantech's share in the Japanese domestic market is around 50 percent. Oshima says Vantech filters are used the most in air-conditioning, refrigerators, and air conditioning systems for cars.

Vantech might not be the only company producing filters, but Oshima points to a key distinction. "We distinguish ourselves with our ability to provide a quick response to customers," he says. In one example, other suppliers had turned away a client with an urgent mass order of 200,000 parts. Oshima says the norm is to request one or two months' turnaround-Vantech was able to complete the order in less than two weeks.

And Vantech also adds value thanks to outstanding quality control rubber-stamped with ISO9001 certification. During production, units are first measured carefully to verify size. Products are then checked every subsequent hour for possible discrepancies. Finally, each individual piece is visually inspected before shipping.

Oshima hopes Vantech's quality filters can be brought to use in more countries around the world. Not only are company representatives hitting up global trade exhibitions, the company is also bringing in more foreign employees to facilitate inquiries from customers outside Japan. Currently, Thai, Chinese and Nepalese employees work in the headquarters, and there are also employees working with English skills.