Sendai Nikon Corporation gains ISO 14001 Certification

Sendai Nikon Corporation (Natori City, Miyagi Prefecture), a production subsidiary of Nikon Corporation, received certification as an ISO 14001 facility meeting international standards for environmental management systems, from the Bureau Veritas Quality International (BVQI), on March 21.

The ISO (International Standards Organization) established the standards "a guideline for environmental management" to apply starting September 1996 to every aspect of environment-related corporate activity, including raw materials procurement, production, sales and recycling.

As interest in environmental issues grows around the world, ISO 14001 certification of production facilities is increasingly becoming a precondition for companies to do business with government, especially in nations, such as those of the European Union, in which environmental issues enjoy high priority.

Sendai Nikon Corporation, a Nikon subsidiary located in the city of Natori in Miyagi prefecture, manufactures its parent company's main single-lens reflex camera products, including the Nikon F5, as well as chambers (controlled environment cabinets) and other components for Nikon's NSR series of steppers for the semiconductor industry.

As one of the earliest camera manufacturing facility in Japan to receive ISO 14001 certification, Sendai Nikon started preparing its push for ISO 14001 certification in August 1995. An official certification acquisition team was formed the following March. The team aimed to introduce systems to reduce and sort waste, promote energy- and resource-conservation, expand recycling, and enhance environmental education. The company's success in achieving these objectives paved the way for certification.

Sendai Nikon's operational environmental standards surpass local regulations in their rigor, demonstrating the firm's commitment to its employee's health. Contact with the local community is important, as the firm continues to set higher standards as a good corporate citizen.