2024-09-24
[Tenant Company Interview] ITbook Holdings Co., Ltd.
ITbook Holdings Co., Ltd., which changed its name to SAAF Holdings Co., Ltd. in September 2024, relocated its headquarters to Toyosu in July 2022. Now that two years have passed since the relocation, we spoke with Sayako Kirisawa and Emi Mizuno, leaders of the General Affairs and IR Department of the Management Headquarters, about the appeal of the Toyosu area and the effects of the relocation (interview time: July 2024).
PROFILE
ITbook Holdings Co., Ltd. (will change its name to "SAAF Holdings Co., Ltd." in September 2024)
Established: 2018
Number of employees: Approximately 2,000 (group-wide)
Head office location: Toyosu Forestia 9F, 3-2-24 Toyosu, Koto-ku, Tokyo
Business description: IT consulting, system development, sales of system equipment, staffing and introduction, ground survey and improvement, ground guarantee, etc. We are engaged in a wide range of businesses, including local government DX promotion support projects, regional revitalization promotion support projects, and new boring surveys.
Business integration will roughly double the company Floors
Consolidating and relocating operations to the ever-developing city of Toyosu
In October 2018, ITbook Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as ITbook) and Something Holdings Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Something) merged to form ITbook Holdings Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as ITbook Holdings), which approximately doubled in Floors and relocated its headquarters to Toyosu Foresia in July 2022. What was the deciding factor in choosing Toyosu?
Mizuno:When we first integrated our business, the group companies were still scattered all over the country, and the idea of consolidating them in one place led to the relocation of the headquarters. Originally, ITbook was in Toranomon and Something in Kiba, and Nihonbashi and Toyosu were considered as midway points between the two.
Mr. Kirisawa:At the time, ITbook and Something each had about 100 employees, so we needed to find an office that Floors 200 people.
Mizuno:Some group companies still remain in Toranomon, so not everything has been consolidated, but the relocation has involved companies of similar Floors coming together. The relocation project was spearheaded by the company's top management, but there were various reasons why Toyosu was ultimately chosen. One of the reasons is that it is located exactly halfway between the two bases, and has good access with plenty of transportation from the city center, including Tokyo Station, trains and buses. However, since Something had an office in Kiba before the merger and many employees live in Chiba, there were some concerns about the inconvenience of commuting due to the change in the line they used.
Mr. Kirisawa: However, if you go through Shinkiba, you can easily access Chiba, so it doesn't seem to be particularly inconvenient. I haven't heard many negative opinions about the line from ITbook members. Toranomon is on the Ginza line, but it's also within walking distance of Sakuradamon Station on the Yurakucho line, and it's easy to transfer from various lines such as the Chiyoda line, Hibiya line, and Namboku line.
Mizuno: The Yurakucho Line has a lot of users, so crowded trains can be a concern, but there are plans to extend it to Sumiyoshi Station, so I think it will become even more convenient.
From the business integration in 2018 to the relocation in 2022,
The relocation project took four years.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been changes to the way offices are run.
Mr. Kirisawa: The relocation project itself began shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic, but partway through we started working from home, so we didn't envision an office Floors enough to accommodate all 200 employees. Some departments and group companies still primarily work from home, so we've left plenty of free space so that people who come to the office that day can sit wherever they like.
The charm of Toyosu, a city with many different facets
Two years have passed since the relocation. How has your image of Toyosu changed since the relocation?
Mizuno: Even before the relocation, I had the impression that Toyosu was a "beautiful town." What surprised me was that there were many people with diverse attributes other than office workers. There are many Floors office buildings around the station, so I thought that only working people would be there, but I often see students, families, and local residents taking walks.
Mr. Kirisawa: Sometimes when I'm quiet in the office, I can hear the school bell. I find it interesting, in a good way, to have those kinds of sounds of everyday life reach the office space.
Exterior of the building (Toyosu Foresia)
Mizuno: Public spaces such as sidewalks are also wide and spacious. In Kiba, the road to the station was quite crowded at rush hour, but in Toyosu, you don't have to walk around people.
Mr. Kirisawa: I've heard other employees say that the area is safe. There are a lot of relatively new high-rise apartment buildings, and there are plenty of facilities for families.
Mizuno: There is plenty of greenery, many fountains and water areas, and the streets are beautiful, so it's easy to feel that it is safe and comfortable.
ITbook Holdings is a member of the Toyosu-based business alliance "Toyotomokai," and cooperates with the local community and shares information. The company metwith the head of the Toyosu Town Association and had the opportunity to learn about the town's history and human kindness. Toyosu is a multifaceted town that is both an office district and a living space, and has many unique charms.
Mizuno: Although it is an office district, the area is also attractive because of the abundance of commercial facilities in the surrounding area, including those at the base of the buildings. Some commercial facilities also offer preferential treatment to nearby businesses.
Mr. Kirisawa: There are shopping malls and large home improvement stores nearby, so it's nice to be able to do some shopping on the way home from work. Not only is it convenient for personal use, but it's also very convenient for work, as Something is a civil engineering company and you can get not only office supplies but also civil engineering supplies on the same day.
The move to the Toyosu area also had a certain effect on recruitment.
Mr. Kirisawa:According to the Human Resources Department, the image of the city of Toyosu is an advantage in recruiting activities. There are many facilities featured in the media, such as Toyosu Market and amusement facilities, and the area is well-known, so it makes a good impression when you say, "Our head office is in Toyosu." In reality, it is a little different from the glamorous image of the city seen in the media, with a beautiful streetscape lined with office buildings and high-rise apartments. I think the city's multifaceted nature, such as "What a beautiful streetscape" and "I can work in such a nice office," is also a plus in recruiting activities.
Mizuno: It has only been two years since the relocation, but we have already had cases of people who live in Toyosu joining the company. The proximity of work and home is one of the attractions of Toyosu, and it has expanded the scope of recruitment.
Aiming for further development alongside the ever-evolving Toyosu
Mr. Kirisawa: It was right in front of our company, so it was exciting to see the building grow taller and taller from nothing.
Mizuno:Many employees are excited that more stores will be opening nearby.
Mr. Kirisawa:Yes, everywhere is crowded at lunchtime so it's nice to have more options.
Finally, the two spoke about the attractions of Toyosu from the perspective of companies based in the area.
Mizuno:Whenever I say that my company is in Toyosu, everyone says, "That's a great location." That's how good an image Toyosu has.
Mr. Kirisawa: We get compliments from customers who visit our headquarters, saying, "It's a beautiful new office." The neighborhood is beautiful and lively, so it may also be helping to improve the image of the companies located there.
Mizuno: Toyosu has undergone redevelopment in recent years, and is rapidly growing with an increase in office buildings and commercial facilities. One of the reasons we decided to relocate to Toyosu was that we wanted our company to develop along with the city. We will continue to be inspired by the evolution and development of the city of Toyosu, and we will continue to work hard to become a "social problem-solving company," as we have put it in our new company name (SAAF Holdings).
ITbook Holdings Co., Ltd. will change its name to "SAAF Holdings Co., Ltd." on September 1, 2024. In line with the management philosophy of "aiming to efficiently and effectively improve the added value of social infrastructure and contribute to society through ICT technology and digital transformation," the new company name, SAAF, means "Support As A Foundation." The company aims to be a foundation that supports social infrastructure and to be a company that can solve social problems through value creation and social contribution.
