/> This award was established by a committee that includes representatives of the Osaka prefectural government to recognize excellence in small and medium sized manufacturers in the prefecture. The award will be officially presented in a ceremony in the Osaka Labour Center on January 11, 2011.

　The companies that receive this award will be included in a brochure “Osaka Spirit! - Excellent Osaka Companies” as examples what can be achieved in the prefecture. This brochure will be used to promote the benefits of the Monodzukuri spirit that these companies epitomize in Japan and abroad.

　In establishing this award the committee sought to recognize small and medium sized manufacturers that exemplify Osaka Monodzukuri by employing advanced technology to produce high quality products at low cost and deliver them promptly. Of the 102 nominations received since the award began in 2008 12 winners of the Osaka award have been selected or inclusion amongst the 300 companies recognized by the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry as Dynamic Monodzukuri companies and commended by the minister. Thus the receipt of the Osaka award is the first step towards formal recognition that Nihon Superior is in fact a company that epitomizes the Monodzukuri spirit.

　The Best Company Award which Nihon Superior received is one of four presented by the Osaka committee, the other being the Technology Award, Special Award and Excellent Company Award. Of the 76 companies that were nominated for the award this year 65 received the Excellent Company Award. This year three companies were chosen to receive the Best Company Award, one the Technology Award and three the Special Award. Usually only one company receives the Best Company Award but this year there were the companies that the committee felt ranked equally in the uniqueness of their technology and their success is marketing it around the world.

　The primary reason cited for making the Best Company Award to Nihon Superior was its direct action in dealing with an environmental issue, the need to eliminate lead from the solders used by the electronics industry, in particular:
# Developing a lead-free solder and securing patents in 24 countries and regions.
# Succeeding in having the solder evaluated in a test program undertaken by NASA and the US Department of Defence.

After the announcement of the award, Nihon Superior’s president, Tetsuro Nishimura said that Monodzukuri is a way of life in his company so that it is a great honour that the commitment to this spirit of creativity was being recognized in this way.

Mr Nishimura noted that the timing of the announcement of the award was particularly appropriate since it was made only a few days after the official opening of Nihon Superior’s new $6 million Research & Development Center in Toyanaka. With its objective of developing new and innovative products this investment provides a practical demonstration of the company’s commitment to manufacturing excellence.
Mr Nishimura pledged himself to becoming one of the leading manufacturers in Osaka by giving practical expression to the Monodzukuri spirit.

（※）The organizer of this program is the Executive Committee of the Osaka Small and Medium Sized Manufacturers Award Project.
Membership of the committee comprises representatives of the Osaka prefectural government, the Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Osaka Prefectural Federation of Commerce and Industry Societies, Osaka Prefectural Federation of Small Business Associations, Osaka Foundation for Trade and Industry. Corporate sponsorship came from the Kansai Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Kinki Branch of the Organization for Small and Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation Japan, Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun Ltd and Nikkei Inc.