July 2 , 2001

ABX (home city: Montpellier, France), a specialized producer of blood cell counters, has joined the board of our group in order to be at the core of our global medical diagnostic business, in a process that began with stock acquisition in 1996. This venture company, which started manufacturing blood cell counters in 1983, has grown impressively since joining our group. As the world's fifth-largest firm in the field, ABX now has branches in fourteen countries.

We will conduct a major shift in strategy from enlargement for improvement in global sales infrastructure, in order to upgrade product variety and services. Experiencing a sales volume increase, we plan to improve the supply system so that it corresponds to the needs that vary according to region. We will create a global medical diagnostic business network in accordance with the policy of supplying standardized product quality and services across the globe, just as we have done in the engine measurement business.

We have decided to change the management organization of ABX, at the core of our medical diagnosis business, to one with the same type of organization as has been put into practice in the engine measurement business. Under this system, an executive of HORIBA, Ltd. takes charge of the total management as the president, for the purpose of more active investment and stronger technical cooperation with our company. A local departmental executive will head each department.

Dr. Kozo Ishida, the senior managing director of our company, has been the president since June 29, 2001 in the new organization (as a double-role extern). He aims at operations that make the best and most organic use of the resources of our group, such as our global achievements and networks in other fields.

Except for the change of president, the existing organization in terms of development, sales, and services is to remain unchanged. This is according to our basic stance for overseas deployment, which entails local solutions for local needs.

In addition to these measures, we will introduce our manufacturing technology into the process of transforming ABX, in order to improve productivity. We promise to deliver products required by customers in a timelier manner than before, and we will upgrade the consumable supply and service system. We will move forward to expand our market share on a global scale, supported by the high credibility that our products and services have earned.


Atsushi Horiba
President and CEO
HORIBA, Ltd.