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From longtime South Siders to international companies bringing jobs to the area, Brooks has become a hub for growth, success, and prosperity. Ever since the Air Force Base closed and Brooks was opened to the public, it has become a place where all are invited to come and improve their life.
Nissei at Brooks is where Japanese ambition meets South Side culture
By Kiyoto Takizawa, President of Nissei Plastic Machinery America Inc. (NPMA)
Translated from Japanese
Established in 1947
Hello, my name is Kiyoto Takizawa, I am the President of Nissei Plastic Machinery America Inc. (NPMA). I would like to thank you for this opportunity to talk about Nissei. We are a subsidiary of Nissei Plastic Industrial Co., Ltd., which is located in Nagano-ken, Japan. The company was founded in 1947 by Katashi Aoki. Katashi Aoki had dreamed of opening a factory in the United States since the establishment of the company, and in 2018, his dream came to fruition with the grand opening of NPMA in San Antonio, Texas.
NPMA becomes the sixth manufacturing subsidiary for Nissei; joining three factories located in Japan, one in China, and one in Thailand. These are part of Nissei’s global production network.
The American dream
NPMA will supply the U.S. market with medium- to large-scale hybrid injection molding machines, manufactured to the highest standards that is associated with the Nissei name.
These injection molding machines will be branded as machines; “Made by Nissei” and “Assembled in the USA” by the American workers it’s employing. Manufacturing injection molding machines in San Antonio will lower transportation cost, improve response times for modifications, and shorter lead times for our customers.
As a company we chose San Antonio, Texas for our factory for the following reasons:
- Texas is strategically located in the middle of the North and South American continents; this will lower logistical cost and have shorter lead times for all of Nissei’s customers.
- Texas has 77,000 workers in the plastic industry — that is more workers than any other state in the U.S.
- San Antonio, Texas, compared to other regions we visited in the U.S., is the least affected by natural disasters.
While visiting San Antonio, we met with the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation (SAEDF) who introduced us to organizations trying to persuade us to choose their location for our factory. We were impressed with the vision and planning of Brooks team.
The Brooks location appealed to us for the following reasons:
- The Brooks location is minutes from the I-10, I-35, and 410 corridors.
- Brooks plans for road expansion to prevent traffic in the community will make our location accessible for our logistical support and customer visits.
- Brooks’ vision of growth for the community is similar to Nissei’s corporate identity.
International hub
Being located in Brooks is like living in a city within a city. Since we have opened our doors for business, we were pleasantly surprised to find that 30% of our skilled workforce actually live in the new apartments located on Brooks. Our Brooks employees enjoy the cost savings for transportation, community events sponsored by Brooks businesses, and actually getting the opportunity to drive home during their lunch break.
The Brooks team continues to work with Nissei’s management team to get our company acclimated with doing business in San Antonio. Job fairs, business outreach with the community, and cultural, social, and athletic events are all available at Brooks.
The environmental philosophy of Nissei Plastic Industrial Co., Ltd. is to make every effort to save energy and resources, prevent pollution, and implement eco-friendly measures actively to work in harmony with nature. We believe that Brooks has a similar philosophy while working in a different type of business. Brooks preserves and practices conservation on its ponds and wild areas while developing its growth.
It was a big decision to establish a plant at Brooks, but the benefits have paid off tremendously. We feel fortunate to be part of this partnership, and we look forward to the success of Nissei, and other international businesses, at Brooks in the future. I want to thank you for taking the time to read our message.
Brooks is home to 45+ businesses that have seized the unique opportunity to get a piece of all that the community has to offer.
The vision of Brooks is so much more than just its 1,300 acres. The opportunities to be found here are available to everyone, like the strawberry farmer from Poteet who comes to Brooks for fun and entertainment, and OKIN BPS, a Czech company bringing quality jobs to the South Side.
