On July 22nd, we had the opportunity to visit WELLZ UNITED and take a tour of their facility.
This article is written by Morita from the Production Engineering Department, who was in charge of coordinating the arrangements for this visit.

You may be wondering why we decided to visit the factory in the first place. It all began when we attended a seminar in March titled “BE THE LOVED COMPANY”, where we were deeply inspired by the talk given by CEO Mr. Inoue.

Following that, Plant Manager Komaki reached out to WELLZ UNITED on our behalf. After discussions within our group, we decided not to visit the main factory, but instead, to explore THE 610 BASE, a community co-creation initiative led by the company.

Starting with the Factory Tour:

THE 610 BASE is located in Fukuchiyama City, Hyogo Prefecture, and utilizes the former Nakamurombe Elementary School, which was closed down, to carry out agricultural activities.

This school had long served as a central part of the local community and also functioned as an evacuation site during disasters. However, maintaining such an important facility solely through the efforts of the local localresidents proved to be extremely challenging.
To address this issue, the team decided to take on the challenge of agriculture at this location.

They are cultivating strawberries using IoT-based farming.
By collecting and comparing data, they aim to create the optimal conditions for growing strawberries.

In addition to that, they are also engaged in craft beer production and the operation of the “Sliders Café.”

This time, we were treated to a delicious “shaved strawberry” dessert!

While enjoying the shaved strawberry dessert, we had the privilege of hearing from President Inoue.
He shared the company’s philosophy: “To create a truly good company where every day brings real happiness and growth.”
Through his words, we could genuinely feel how deeply he values the well-being of his employees.

At the end of the visit, we divided into three groups and held a discussion session.
As we spoke with the team members, it became clear just how deeply the company’s values—and President Inoue’s vision—have taken root throughout the organization.

Although the factory tour was limited to just two hours, the conversations became so engaging that many of us felt we simply didn’t have enough time to talk!

We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to WELLZ UNITED for graciously welcoming us on such short notice.

Thank you very much for reading this report to the end.

From here, we’d like to share a selection of reflections later discussed within our group, focusing on “How we hope to apply it going forward.”

【Impressions】

・Trust Spiral Management (a design where employees grow by taking ownership of their work)
→ I felt that this approach is highly efficient for both the company and its employees, as it leads to 　growth through changing how work is handled, without the need to implement new training systems.

・Field-First Approach (building an organization optimized for on-site efficiency)
→ After more than a decade of trial and error, they have arrived at their current staffing structure.
→ I was impressed by their attitude of never settling for the status quo and their ability to continuously improve through real, effective action.

・Active Communication and Visualizing Appreciation
→ Although it may seem obvious, this visit made me realize once again just how important these elements truly are. 

・A Culture Where Employees Feel Comfortable Sharing Their Opinions—Even New Hires
→ I felt that this is a company where even the voices of new employees are heard and reflected in the organization, creating a workplace that is not only easy to work in, but also one where people want to work.

・A Sense of Closeness to the Management Team
→ It felt like there’s a culture where employees are close not only to one another but also to the management team, creating an open atmosphere where it’s easy to share opinions.

・The Organizational Structure Is Flat, and President Inoue Focuses on Providing Knowledge-Based Support 
→ I felt that the workplace culture strongly encourages employees to think and act independently, with a flat organizational chart and a system in which President Inoue mainly offers guidance from a knowledge standpoint.

【How we hope to apply this going forward】

・I want to start thinking—regardless of scale—about systems and mechanisms that help employees clearly visualize how their actions, not just their work tasks, impact the company and those around them.

・Consider how to design communication strategies that facilitate smooth operations — in other words, communication design aimed at improving workflow efficiency.

・Promote a mindset shift—through systems or organizational design—that fosters mutual respect among employees, including the management team.
→ If we can build a culture of respect, it may lead to more compassionate thinking, ultimately resulting in better outcomes for people, products, and the work we do.

・President Inoue mentioned that while the company may not be perfectly structured, it is in a state where everyone is always ready to support one another.
Hearing this, I thought it would be great if our own company could also evolve into a workplace where, even in times of staff shortages, other members can step in to provide support across teams.

Written by:
Kodai Morita
Production Engineering Department
Okudaya Giken Co., Ltd.