Tsuneishi Heavy Industries Inc. (THI, President: Kenji Kawano, Location: Cebu, Philippines, a shipbuilding group company forming part of the Tsuneishi Corporation) was awarded ISO 14001 certification, an international standard for the environmental management system, at a local presentation ceremony held on December 19, 2003, after passing assessments carried out by Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (Class NK, Chairman: Kenji Ogawa), the organization that carries out assessment and registration of the standard.

ISO 14001 is a certification standard awarded to management systems that conform to a globally uniform environmental standard. Its chief purpose is to reward the prevention of emissions of harmful substances and hazardous materials and to reduce pollution and destruction of the environment. THI’s acquisition of the ISO 14001 certificate demonstrates that our vigorous management ethos, focusing on the protection of Cebu’s natural environment, has attained the international standard.

THI previously obtained ISO 9001 certification in 1998 by achieving quality management comparable to that of our Japanese factories. In January 2001, the company set the acquisition of the ISO 14001 certificate as its management goal, and provided education to every employee on the significance and the need to obtain the certificate in an effort to protect the natural environment and improve its corporate image. Since that time, THI has vigorously backed company-wide efforts by conducting regular seminars and education at individual divisions, as well as internal audits led by the project team, which was formed mainly by local staff with the aim of obtaining the certificate. While promoting publicity on the related standards and detailed applications through these activities, THI set targets for each division in line with the company policy and goal, put in writing the measures to implement, examined the targets, and carried out demonstrations and verifications before finally being certified.

Following the acquisition of their ISO 14001 certificate, THI reconfirmed the significance of efforts to comply with the assessment rules across the company. The company intends to continue to prevent emissions of harmful substances and to aggressively push forward with management endeavors based on concern for the natural environment of Cebu.

Tsuneishi Corporation (Head Office: 1083 Tsuneishi, Numakuma-cho, Numakuma, Hiroshima, President: Katsushige Kambara) established THI in Balamban, Cebu, Philippines in 1994. The Cebu Factory currently leads the new shipbuilding business as a core factory, where 52,000t-class bulk carriers are being constructed, along with annual repairs of more than 130 vessels (as of 2002).
Tsuneishi is presently enhancing facilities at THI as part of its global business strategy, aiming to further reinforce its international competitiveness in the ship market as a Tsuneishi Group company.