決　断 （日刊工業新聞社編、1999年出版）　5. 10年は節電虫にかける　We will spend 10 years on Setsuden-mushi.

勢いに乗った釜本社長は1998年4月、メモリーの保護機能を備えた「ニューSetsuden-mushi」を発売。これは送信先で印刷紙不足の時に文書をメモリーに蓄える機能のあるファクス向け商品。続いて、10月には、コピー機専用の節電装置「コピーSetsuden-mushi」も投入した。１日に10回程度しか利用しないコピー機の場合、年間約8000円も電気代を節約できる優れモノだ。これでSetsuden-mushiシリーズは三種類そろい、ラインアップ化した。

1999年には家電用機種の開発、発売も予定。さらに中幅広くユーザーニーズにこたえられるようになる。

Setsuden-mushiは経営を支える新たな柱にまで育った。コンサルタントや英語教育、翻訳・通訳が本業であることには変りないが1993年には英語塾はやめている。釜本社長は「中小企業は4,5年毎に仕事の中身を見直さないとじり貧になる。これまでのビジネスが伸びない場合に備え、それをカバーできる新たな何かが欲しかったのも事実」と打ち明ける。

「経営者」としてシビアな側面もうかがわせる。「今後も月に100台以上は売れると思う。

そうすれば将来は、翻訳と通訳が副業になるかも知れない。逆に、売れなければその程度の商品にすぎなかったということだ（笑い）と、期待とクールさが入り混じる。

「50歳台の10年間はSetsuden-mushiで環境問題に、一生懸命取り組みたい」と釜本社長。生来のチャレンジャー魂は、今後も尽きそうになさそうだ。 

　In April 1998, after gaining momentum, President Kamamoto launched the "New Setsuden-mushi" with a memory protection function. This was a product for fax machines that could store documents in memory when there was a shortage of paper for printing at the destination. In October, the company also introduced the "Copy Setsuden-mushi," a power-saving device designed specifically for copiers, which can save about 8,000 yen a year on electricity bills if the copier is used only about 10 times a day. The Setsuden-mushi series now consists of three types of products in the lineup.

　In 1999, we plan to develop and launch models for home appliances, which will enable the company to meet a wider range of user needs.

Setsuden-mushi has grown to become a new pillar of management support. The company's core business is still consulting, English education, and translation/interpretation, but he stopped his English cram school in 1993. Mr. Kamamoto said, "Small and medium-sized companies need to reevaluate their business every four or five years or they will become impoverished. It's true that we wanted something new to cover the gap in case our existing business did not grow.

　"As a businessman, he has a serious side to him. " I think we will be able to sell more than 100 units a month.

If that happens, translation and interpretation may become a sideline for me in the future. On the other hand, if Setsuden-mushi doesn't sell well, it means it was just a product of that level (laughs)," he says with a mixture of expectation and coolness.

　"I want to work hard on environmental issues with Setsuden-mushi for the next ten years of my life," said President Kamamoto. It seems that his innate challenger spirit will never cease.

毎週火曜日に日英併記で連載中です。

Serially posted in both Japanese and English every Tuesday.

写真データ、写真資料は以下のサイトを参照下さい。

For photo data and materials, please refer to the following websites.

https://www.facebook.com/kamamototsuguru