An elephant resides at Cement Product Design’s office in Osaka’s Nishi-ku ward. That would be the Friend’Zoo Stool, one of the company’s best-selling products, which was created with the company’s initial employees when they first launched. Initially the company received many orders from people who wanted to use the stool as a children’s gift, but it has recently become popular among adults, who are using it in entryways and commercial buildings. It was the first piece of furniture the company created. “I learned how difficult it is to submit a design without knowing the actual conditions and background of the manufacturer. Considering how to succeed or fail in business was a very important lesson,” says CEO Tsutomu Kaneya.

Making a complexly shaped stool required more than just typical manufacturing processes and existing experience. The fledgling Kaneya worked on a strategy to properly realize his idea. “I should have been able to find the technological skill required,” he says. It required a multi-pronged approach, with the manufacturing needs surpassing the scope of the furniture industry. Working alongside partner company Kanata Seisakusho, an entirely new type of stool was completed. Kaneya’s idea propelled the business. “There are many town factories that are unable to find their own unique expression, despite having excellent technical skill. Our next mission is to change the business landscape for these factories by discovering ways to effectively utilize them.”