PIOLAX U.K. Celebrates Its 20th Anniversary
No.2015_01 [ September 29, 2015 ]
PIOLAX LTD. (U.K.) was established in August 1995, in Accrington, Lancashire, in northwest England (about 50 kilometers from Manchester).
This year, 2015, marks the 20th anniversary of its establishment. On August 14, all staff took part in an anniversary celebration.
It was a cloudy day with occasional rain, quite British. The event started with the 20th anniversary tree planting. The tree that was chosen to be planted this time was a Japanese maple.
The 15th anniversary celebration five years ago also included a tree planting, but then the tree was a double-flowered cherry tree. This time, the local staff thought that it might be good to have a tree other than a cherry tree that would evoke the spirit of Japan, so we selected a maple. We expect that the maple planted will grow and change with the seasons and please the eyes with brilliant green and crimson.
After the tree planting, we proceeded to a hotel near the office for a ceremony. It started with a guest from Japan, President Shimazu, who, in a speech, congratulated PIOLAX U.K. on 20 years, reported on the current performance and state of the PIOLAX Group, and expressed his hopes for the future development of PIOLAX U.K.
Next, generations of presidents of PIOLAX U.K. gave their own remarks of celebration. They explained the hardships and joys that they experienced. For example, when PIOLAX U.K. was first established, the plant was about half the size that it is now, and it was difficult to improve its earnings enough for it to be an independent company as production and sales were lacking. However, with the efforts of all the staff, performance was improved year after year, and finally PIOLAX U.K. succeeded in moving into the black. As the participants listened to the remarks, they each seemed to recall their own pasts.
After speeches by presidents past and present, awards for long service (10 years) were given. At the 15th anniversary, there were 20 staff recognized for 10 years of service, and, this time, there were 15. Their names were called, and photographs of their faces were projected on the screen. As they walked up to the stage to receive their awards, they looked full of joy and pride.
After the ceremony, it was time for fun! The participants were split into 10 teams, which competed in various games. There were games that used the body, in which they kicked balls and surfed, and games that used the mind, such as large-scale puzzles. Two hours went by in the blink of an eye. At the end of the event, the top 3 of the 10 teams had a sumo competition for the top honors. Wearing big sumo costumes, on a sumo wrestling mat, the representatives of each team went at it! But, then, they were wearing big, silly costumes and sumo hair, so they looked to the audience rather as if they were dancing a funny dance, and the cheers were mixed with many laughs.
The glorious victors took the trophy along with champagne, like Formula One champions. As the banquet began at 5 p.m., one could hear the cork go pop!
It was a meaningful day of celebration, in which everyone looked back at the last 20 years and got ready to walk forward toward the 25th and 30th anniversaries.
