International Wood Specialists

We at Maruhon have a long history of working with trees and lumber. Over the years, the growth and maturation of our society have seen a change not only in the demand for lumber itself, but in the level of quality customers want to see in our products, services, information and the overall way we relate to trees and our environment. In an industry like ours, in order to respond to the multiple and diverse needs of society, we stay constantly open to new ideas and innovative ways of doing things. In responding to the requests and hopes expressed by our customers, we move steadily in the direction of new horizons in both domestic and overseas product advancement. We aim at developing into a company with a strong vision and a firm sense of commitment to both society and to the industry. We at Maruhon are proud of the trust and confidence our customers place in us, and we take great pleasure in fulfilling that trust by putting fine quality and performance to work in serving you.

Noriyoshi Ito, President

Philosophy: Wood adds warmth to our lives.

In today's society, advanced functionalism and streamlining allow us to enjoy comfort and convenience at unprecedented levels. Technological progress has made life easier and more convenient, but at the same time, it cannot be denied that we have given up some of our artistic qualities in the search for functionalism. In today's machine-oriented society, many of us perhaps feel an urge to return to the simpler and more natural lifestyle we once enjoyed.

At Maruhon, we provide people with a renewed sense of nature through the use of wood. Our goals are not limited to merely going back to nature: we want to demonstrate that, even as we lean so heavily toward science and technology in our lives, a sense of harmony with nature and the elements can still be ours through wood and wood products. In a room filled with the metallic coolness of computer equipment, for example, wood textures can bring back the warmth and vividness that humanize the space in which we work and live. When it comes to softening the unrelenting corners of the technological world we dwell, wood has no equivalent. With a true appreciation of trees and what they can do for us, we move forward towards an environment that is not only easier to live in but opens up unlimited possibilities for the future.

Innovation: Changes in industry have a profound influence in our lives.

We at Maruhon believe that today's market calls not for groups of homogeneous people, no matter how skilled, but rather a blend of all kinds of highly motivated people working together. Originality and creativity are born of individuals with superior talents and skills, people with a great many new and different ideas, who have a resolute spirit of determination and can look at and think about the world in unconventional ways. Furthermore, what promotes creative and progressive work is the drawing together of all those above traits in a number of individual people and industries, each with its own role to play.

At Maruhon, our future extends beyond the borders of the conventional lumber distribution field. Through joint ventures with affiliates and industries in other fields, we are developing computer software packages oriented to the lumber industry, housing materials, processed lumber products, and routes for importing new products. These and other projects present constant and exciting challenges as we move forward into the future.

Distribution:  A distribution base for both products and information. We're working to bring you both lumber and information.

A high level of tension between different cultures is inevitable. Maruhon, located almost exactly in the center of Japan, is perfectly positioned to act as the contact point between East and West, serving as the distribution center through which both products and information flow from one side to the other. Furthermore, we are located adjacent to Tenryu, which is one of Japan's greatest lumber centers. This puts us in an excellent position to provide our customers with just the functions they need.

To do this, we provide a full range of over 70 kinds of wood, and our rapid distribution system, with its network connecting eastern, central, and western portions of Japan, guarantees next-morning delivery, even of small product shipments. In addition, our sales teams use a computer-based LAN system called "Symphony," implementing SIS techniques, as a customer support system. This means we can give you fast answers to your questions concerning complex orders, estimates, inventory and pricing. Maruhon acts not only as a customer supply base, providing you with building and furniture materials and other wood products manufactured both domestically and overseas, but with a complete information base to supply answers to just about anything you need to know.

Network: In an age when the borders between countries are rapidly disappearing, unlimited growth is sweeping business fields.

At Maruhon, we reinforce the bonds between leading industrial sectors in Japan through the pioneering of new direct delivery routes. Beyond these borders, our business network encompasses foreign countries from the United States to China to Brazil to Italy to the Ivory Coast, putting as many as 2000 suppliers all over the world in touch with each other. Through this network, we bring the right materials to the right place to satisfy market demands. Our sales routes also include over 1000 housing material agents, builders and construction agencies, and manufacturers of furniture and housing materials. We at Maruhon like to think that our distribution network is geared to more than just "things" -- we bring you up-to-date information, fine products and an upgraded level of service that you won't match anyplace else.

Development: Ascertaining the future of lumber from our users.

We don't think of ourselves merely as an organization for carrying lumber to lumber industries. We search constantly for new possibilities in redefining excellence in industrial materials.

Lumber, in comparison to other elements, has a great many superior qualities and characteristics. It requires little energy for processing and needs no complicated machining processes in order to effect chemical changes. It is ready to use as soon as the four surfaces are cut. Moreover, carefully planned forestry management programs make lumber one of the few natural resources that can be renewed.

To put it another way, trees are a valuable resource which are closely entwined with human beings and their lifestyle. However, since each individual tree varies in its quality and material, basic procedures such as grading are not easily systematized but must be carried out individually, making handling of this resource an extremely complex undertaking. We understand the problems that suppliers face in working with lumber, and we try to assume the position of the consumer in order to solve these problems and develop new means of distribution and delivery. We are also working to develop better and more effective ways to use our natural resources, while keeping a careful watch on the demand for lumber. In the process, we continue to develop better ways to meet the needs of our customer and to make just the right products for whatever applications you have in mind.

Quality: We deliver only our best. High quality is the strength behind our business.

Seeing the forests despite the trees, we keep an eye on the needs of the times.

Maruhon is a comprehensive merchandiser addressing all aspects of planning from the creation of new products to market development. We don't think business should be figured out with a pen and paper: instead, we get right out to the actual production locale and find out what the people there think, feel and need. The quality of wood differs to some extent depending on the quality of the land where it is produced, the climate in that area, and other factors. We send professional experts to the area to judge these factors for themselves, as the starting point in a quality control program that aims at delivering the best product for a specific market.

We also consider it vital to have a thorough grasp of market trends and know exactly what people are looking for in their lifestyle. We study changes in usage environments that come about from the spread of home appliances like air-conditioners, and maintain the flexibility that lets us address market needs at the right time. Our first and foremost target is to provide you with a stable supply of products with value, to make sure you have what you need, when you need it.