Posted in Textile News on March 4, 2021

Yoko Hasegawa was appointed President and Representative Director of Hasegawa Corporation on March 1, 2021.

Inheriting the baton from her founder and her father, Masaru, she breathes new life with her innate brightness and her dynamism. Last year, they expanded their product business centered on fashion accessories such as masks and neck warmers using silk yarn and knitted fabric. It was a turning point for the company, which has a history of more than 55 years.

Hasegawa corporation was founded in 1965. Initially, they developed and sold yarn for silk fabrics, mainly Japanese clothing. From around 1977, the business was expanded by switching to Western clothing. They established a purchasing route for raw materials carefully selected from overseas and focused on overseas sales. Even now, it is gaining the support of a wide range of customers from domestic apparel companies to overseas masons.

President Hasegawa made use of her experience studying in Europe and was involved in the establishment of the Planning and Development Department and the Overseas Sales Department after joining the company. She first gained a foothold for the first Asian company to exhibit at the French yarn and fabric exhibition “Expofil”, and then exhibited at exhibitions in Europe and the United States one after another. After that, in 2010, she oversaw the personnel and general affairs department and started hiring and worked on human resources development and internal revitalization projects.

Since 2012, she has participated in a consumer B2C business startup. She launched an online shopping site for handicraft yarn, and in recent years has been making efforts to expand the product sales business. From planning and development, she proceeded with the operation of their own EC site, establishment of a sales system, and expansion of the direct sales shop “Shop Hasegawa”.

It was mid-February that President Hasegawa was asked by Mr. Masaru to assume the post of president. She said, “I never thought about it. It was just a blue sky.” But her determination was soon settled.

She says, “I will continue to inherit the founder’s spirits, which will continue to pursue the goodness of natural fibers.” She further stated that she “will increase the momentum of B2B as well as B2C. We will learn from employees and work aggressively while sharing wisdom together.”