The dates may change a bit, as is often the way.......

Subject: Iron Heart plans leadership transition to Alex Padmore by 2029

Hello everyone,

Today, I have an important announcement to share with you regarding our near future.

In about two months, I will turn 70 years old. Taking this as a milestone, I wanted to share my future plans and the future of Iron Heart with all of you.
Three years from now, in 2029, I will step down as President of Iron Heart Co., Ltd. and welcome Alex from the UK as the new President.
After that, I will support the new president in the role of Chairman. However, regarding the company’s overall direction and daily operations, decisions will be made under the new president's judgment.

Of course, I want to avoid any abrupt changes within the company during this transition. Over the next three years, as we watch Iron Heart’s growth together with Alex, we will pass on the philosophy and commitment to craftsmanship that I have cherished, while gradually determining how the company should operate moving forward.

As a foundation for transitioning to this new structure, I want everyone to firmly embrace an idea I have always emphasized: "Iron Heart will thrive on its directly-managed stores."

Of course, the importance of our current operations—such as managing the newly established logistics warehouse in Kojima and wholesaling to select dealers—remains unchanged. Among these key operations, however, I want to build a solid operational system for our retail stores over the next three years based on that core belief.

Each store will manage its own product ordering, sales, and profit tracking, ultimately seeing how their work directly connects to their own income. In short, the goal is to create a system where each store operates as an independent profit center.
Once this system is established and I hand over Iron Heart Co., Ltd. to Alex, I plan to focus even more than ever on "making things" (product creation), based at Works Inc. Looking 5 to 10 years into Iron Heart’s future, I will continue creating products in whatever way I can and devote my energy to the brand's ongoing development.

Of course, nothing is going to change drastically starting tomorrow. Over the next three years, working alongside all of you, I want to build the future of Iron Heart step by step.

Though brief, today I shared something regarding our future that is extremely important to Iron Heart. Let’s continue working together to make Iron Heart an even better brand.

Thank you for your continued support.

============
Shinichi Haraki
WORKS INC

I sent a note of thanks to Haraki for placing so much trust in "our" son.

His reply: "Yes, Alex is my son"

My heart brimmeth over....