Resources Global Grows Japan Office to 100 Employees, Sees Growth in Business after Earthquake

June 2011 -- Founded in 1996 as a division of Deloitte & Touche LLP, Resources Global Professionals is a professional services firm specializing in accounting, finance, IT and supply-chain management. Mr. Hiro Ueda, Managing Director of Resources Global Professionals Japan KK, spoke with us about setting up the company's first Japan office, using JETRO's free office setup services, and the progress they have made since then.

Opportunities in Japan
Resources Global established itself in Japan to support its clients in a critical global market. "Japan is one of the world's major markets, a business center," said Mr. Ueda. "We wanted to serve global companies in their major locations, so Japan was a natural choice. It is also a diversified market in which both foreign and Japanese domestic companies have a substantial presence in a wide range of industry segments."

JETRO's Free Office Setup Services Used

• Temporary office space - Even though Resources Global is a large company, said Mr. Ueda, "we were interested in the temporary office space because it was cost-efficient. It was free, flexible, and we needed to move quickly, so it was very attractive for us."
   
• Consultations with experts - "We were referred to one of the social labor specialists, and we continued to work with him, which was important for us."
   

Benefits of Having a Local Office
In describing how having a Japan office has helped the company's business, Mr. Ueda said, "Japan is a critical market for us when we approach the global businesses. We may not necessarily help them in Japan, but when global businesses start working with a professional service firm, they want to work with one who can help them in different locations. Japan is a sizeable market, so having an office here is critical.

"Also, the revenue contribution is significant," he continued. "Japan is one of the largest offices outside of the U.S. from a revenue standpoint." Since establishing the first office, Resources Global has grown to 100 employees in Japan.

"In addition, Japan is a unique element for global businesses. It has a unique business culture," he added. "So while it's a very good market, it needs localized attention, and we can provide that. Having that capacity is important when we approach a global company."

"Also, we now manage both the Taiwan and Korea offices from Tokyo, so it is becoming a hub for these two other offices in Asia."

Post-Earthquake Business Outlook 'Looks Good'
Describing Resources Global's outlook for business in Japan after the March 11 earthquake, Mr. Ueda said, "The business outlook actually looks good. Immediately you have some impact because a lot of businesses were shut down for about a week. After that, revenue continued to grow and it's actually more than pre-March 11 level now. I think the need for redevelopment efforts will have a lot of impact on our clients' businesses, so it gives us a good outlook." Looking forward, Resources Global plans to continue expanding its business in Japan, not only serving clients locally but also developing their needs overseas.

Japan Company Profile

*Note: The opinions contained in this article are based on the experiences of the interviewee. They are not representative of all experiences in Japan or working with Japanese companies, and do not reflect the opinions of JETRO.