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- History of NJS
For over 60 years since the establishment, NJS has always supported the development of society from water and environmental aspects, and deployed our businesses while looking ahead to the future.
It was after the World War II when the history of consultation was started on a full scale in Japan. The idea of design consultant was introduced from the United States for the purpose of reconstruction after the War, and the Science and Technology Agency was established in 1956 and the Professional Engineer Examination System was started in 1958. Prior to this, NJS had been started as a private school for cultivating sewerage experts in 1951.
In 1956, shortly after the Tobata Steel Plant was established, on constructing a steel plant of Yawata Iron and Steel Co., Ltd. on a landfill in Tobata, NJS was entrusted with all matters related to water and conducted an overall agreement on water supply and drainage pipes in the vast plant site, and design of water supply and drainage for a heat stretching plant, thereby supporting the production increase of iron which served as a foundation of the rapid economic growth after the War.
During the rapid economic growth period, the development of industries and concentration of population in cities aggravated water contamination in public water areas. During this period, roles of sewerage attracted lots of attention as the greatest key factor for protecting the natural environment and preventing pollution, the Emergency Measures Law for Construction of Sewerage Systems was established in 1967, and the Basic Act for Environmental Pollution Control was established in the pollution diet in 1970. While promotion of sewerage system development was enhanced nationwide, NJS, as a top consultant of sewerage systems, established a division conducting businesses associated with facilities consisting of experts on water treatment facilities and an analysis center consisting of experts on water quality in the headquarters, and also deployed sales offices across the country to support sewerage system development.
NJS founded its international department in 1976, in 1982 established the Manila Office in Manila City, Philippines where the headquarters of Asian Development Bank is located, and then entered water supply and sewerage system businesses around the world in full scale. Through participation in development assistance projects by the Japanese government, the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, the U.S. Assistance Agency, etc., we supported Japan's international contribution to the world.
The"basic plan for public investment" formulated in 1990 by the national government positioned the decade during 1990's as a precious period for creating good quality social capital stocks to be handed down to the later generations. This plan was designed, in anticipation of the future aging of society and increase in the social security cost, to improve the development standards intensively in 1990's when capacity for investment was still available. During this period, NJS strongly supported water supply and sewerage system development by utilizing our nationwide office network, established CALS Promotion Division in 1997, proposed efficiency of the water supply and sewerage business by utilizing information technology, and acquired ISO 9001 in 1999 to improve quality.
In 1995, the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake occurred. NJS investigated damages on water supply and sewerage systems in Nishinomiya City, Takarazuka City, etc. and designed a reconstruction implementation plan to support restoration and reconstruction from the earthquake. Also, we proactively proposed making facilities earthquake-resistant, and supported promotion of risk management of water supply and sewerage systems.
In order to promote a system for surviving against international competition, we spun off our international business in 2000 and established NJS Consultants Co., Ltd. In the Western consultant industry, an issue since the beginning of the 21st Century has been how to cope with changes in social environment such as internationalization, liberalization, and relaxation of regulations. Operating our overseas business as a separate company has enables us to promptly deploy the business which copes with the drastically changing environment. Now our business has developed into a scale with business experience in 90 countries.
Responsive to the trend of administrative reform, the PFI Promotion Act was established in 1999 for the purpose of introducing the vitality of private companies into public works. Also, the revised Water Supply Act was put into effect in 2002, and this has enabled entrusting part of the water supply business to third parties. Prior to this, in 1998 NJS established NJS E&M Co., Ltd., which comprehensively supports operation management of water supply business by means of consulting of business management, finance, management, etc. and outsourcing of maintenance operations.
In 2002, in order to further strengthen the management foundation, we listed our stock on the second section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. On listing the stock, we conducted various management reforms, such as thoroughly implementing profit management and enhancing corporate governance.
Also, in 2006, we announced the declaration of compliance (internal and external) so as to further strengthen the management foundation, thereby building the foundation that led to the current stable business performance.
Create businesses responding to new age
In Japan, water pipes and facilities of water supply and sewerage systems which were constructed during the rapid economic growth period have reached their service lives, and there is an increased need for renewing them. NJS established an Asset Management Department in the Technology Division in 2007, established an Asset Management Department in the East and West Offices in 2009, and proposed asset management for extending the lives of water supply and sewerage systems. Also in 2005, we established the Environmental Management Engineering Research Laboratory (current Management Engineering Research Laboratory) as a think tank on water supply and sewerage business operation, and worked cooperatively with NJS E&M to make proposals for improving operational efficiency of water supply and sewerage business.
In response to the Great East Japan Earthquake that occurred in 2011, NJS supported restoration of disaster-stricken water supply and sewerage facilities by establishing a task force inside the company and dispatching engineers from across the country to affected areas.
On January 23, 2015, we listed our stock on the first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange for the purpose of improving our corporate value and social credibility. Further, on April 1, 2015, we changed the trade name to the one we had used as an abbreviated name with the aim of further enhancing expansion and globalization of the business domain. Also, we created a new logo mark.
