Hisashi Uryu, the former president of Noritz’s Hong Kong Division, has been named president of Noritz America Corp. The choice was announced byYoshi Asano, Noritz America senior marketing manager.
As the new president of Noritz America, he will be a significant asset to an already thriving team. “I am very enthusiastic to help amplify our market share in the United States, and with thorough research on products and services to grasp a deeper understanding of the market, I will develop and execute strategic business plans that will best suit the current market,” announced Uryu.
Uryu started with Noritz Japan in 1988 as an engineer at the production process system division, where he contributed tremendously to the cost-reduction and productivity of the assembly line. He quickly rose up the ranks within the Noritz corporation and was given the task of cultivating the Hong Kong market in 2001, where he successfully penetrated the market in Hong Kong by working closely with local building engineers and concentrating on “after-sales” customer service.
Uryu first turned his skills to the commercial water heater market in Hong Kong, which was previously dominated by another brand. However, in just three years, he was able to turn the market around and had gained an 80 percent market share, making Noritz the leader in the segment. In addition, Uryu is also credited with conducting rigorous research to develop new products for the Hong Kong market.
In 2005, the first year in which Noritz launched a kitchen appliance line outside of Japan, Uryu quickly had the Noritz line positioned as the best-selling products of the Hong Kong Gas Group, which is the largest gas appliance distributor. That particular market share went from 0 to 18 percent ― significant for a territory that was long established with other brands.
Also, he single-handedly built up Noritz’s presence in new residential and commercial developments in Macao. He was also able to get such top-name establishments as the MGM and the Wynn hotel groups to use Noritz tankless water heaters in their hotel/casinos.
Source: Noritz America Corp.
