DENSO Spirit… Written In Our DNA
It’s been in our DNA since the beginning, even if we didn’t call it “DENSO Spirit” in the early days.
DENSO Spirit is the heart and soul of our company. It’s what makes us different from any other company. The three DENSO Spirit pillars are the pathway to how we make decisions, do our jobs, treat each other, and build the future.
It’s guided us through countless challenges in the past and united us in our successes. DENSO has become one of the largest, most successful mobility suppliers in the world because of the commitment and tenacity of everyone’s DENSO Spirit.
In the Beginning
In the mid-1930s, before DENSO was “officially” established, in a space no more than 12 square yards, a few pioneering engineers began fabricating our first electrical products with borrowed machinery in a shadowy corner of a loom works factory. There, a spirit – a vision of possibilities – emerged.
But it wouldn’t be long before that spirit would be tested.
By 1949, Japan experienced a post-war economic downturn. The domestic automotive industry, including Toyota, a fledgling car company at the time, faced mounting challenges. Something had to be done, and Toyota had to make a tough choice to survive.
So, like a mother bird pushes her babies out of the nest so they learn to fly, Toyota spun off some of its functions as separate independent companies. The electrical and radiator department was one of those functions. DENSO (then known as Nippondenso) and its 1,445 team members were on their own.
While this might be the only way for Toyota, DENSO and the other spun-off companies to survive, the hurdles were overwhelming. But our passion and spirit—the DENSO Spirit—helped us face and overcome those challenges, and it made us strong.
By 1956, 40 percent of the employees were relatively new and unfamiliar with the hardships of our early days. To protect and nurture the founding spirit for the future, the DENSO Creed was established to clarify the significance of the company’s existence and how team members should act.
In 1994, the company introduced the DENSO Philosophy: contributing to a better world by creating value together with a vision for the future. The Philosophy kept true to the basic guidelines of the DENSO Creed and helped build a new corporate image.
Three Pillars of DENSO Spirit
In 2005, to help the company reach its newly released Vision 2015 goals, a clarification of DENSO Spirit was published. To this day, the existing three pillars of Foresight, Credibility and Collaboration – and core values under each – are well known by every team member and continue guiding us toward the future.
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Meeting challenges is a core value of the first DENSO Spirit pillar. In 2020, DENSO Manufacturing Michigan (DMMI) developed and produced respirators to support frontline workers battling COVID-19. As a result, the team earned an Automotive Innovation Award from the Society of Plastic Engineers.
Foresight (Vision, Creativity, Challenge)
Encouraging us to be pioneers; to look ahead and develop plans for the future.
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Credibility - the second DENSO Spirit pillar comes from providing excellent quality and service to all our stakeholders. For the years 1996, 2000 (pictured) and 2005, General Motors recognized DENSO as “Corporation of the Year”. The award is presented to one of nearly 30,000 companies for outstanding quality and performance as a supplier. DENSO become the first company in 2005 to receive the prestigious honor three times.
Credibility (Quality First, On-Site Verification, Kaizen)
Providing quality and reliability beyond customer expectations.
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Working together as a team is the true essence of the third DENSO Spirit pillar – especially during times of crisis. In 2011, team members around the world sent relief supplies and well wishes after an earthquake and tsunami devastated areas of Japan. A signed banner from DENSO Manufacturing Tennessee (DMTN) offers warm thoughts and messages of hope inside a relief distribution center.
Collaboration (Communication, Teamwork, Human Development)
Achieving the highest results by working as a team.
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Max Ano, senior managing director of DENSO Corporation at the time, explained the ultimate benefit of the company belief.
“If we live the DENSO Spirit, there will sometimes be contradictions with cost or productivity. But don’t think only about cost and profit. Think about the future,” said Ano. “Living the DENSO Spirit helps us win the trust and loyalty of all stakeholders, which may not lead to a great profit today but may lead to better things tomorrow.”
The Future of DENSO Spirit
Like in 2005, DENSO continues to grow around the world. Everyone brings different values, experiences, and backgrounds to the company, which can cause us to lose sight of the original spirit.
As DENSO celebrates 75 years throughout 2024, now is the time to strengthen and rededicate our commitment to DENSO Spirit. Over the next three months, catch stories highlighting examples of how the spirit has navigated us through past challenges and guided us toward success. In addition, be watching for a refreshed DENSO Spirit brand that will provide a new look and opportunity to reignite the spirit light in every team member.