DENSO Sales California (DSCA) recently named Kazu Yanagawa vice president of its Materials Control Group. Yanagawa oversees the materials operation, inventory control, procurement, logistics and "Kaizen" (continuous improvement) departments.
Yanagawa joined DSCA in 1985 as a member of the procurement department. In 1987, he transferred to the production control department to support various production operations. Yanagawa moved to the materials management department in 2003.
"As vice president, my primary goals will be to strengthen the inventory control and warehouse operation functions," says Yanagawa. "I will work towards improving the total supply chain."
DSCA, an overseas affiliate of DENSO Corp., posted sales of $276.8 million for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2006. Its product lines include both heavy duty and automotive alternators and starters, oil, cabin and air filters, spark plugs, air conditioning compressors, oxygen sensors, ignition wires, fuel pumps and wiper blades.
In addition, the company distributes heavy-duty diesel and electrical components, portable commercial air-conditioning units and industrial robots.
