The global economy today is gaining strength, led by economic expansion in the United States and in Asian region, including China. Led by growing capital investment and personal consumption, the Japanese economy has entered full-fledged recovery, with competition between companies for leadership intensifying in all industries. Given these conditions, Hitachi Cable is exerting concerted efforts to further improve business performance, including measures to develop new products and technologies, enhance sales capabilities, and expand overseas operations.

I have two goals for our new associates. I hope each of you will focus on these goals and work together to achieve them, unencumbered by past experiences or ways of doing things.

First, I hope you'll cultivate a business-oriented mindset. Whether we operate in engineering, marketing, or administrative sections, our role is to meet client expectations. It's vital that each of you give the client top priority by acting at all times in full awareness of the value your own jobs add to the company's products and operations and how they make things easier for others, while improving your specialized business abilities. Our own thoughts must focus on providing value to our clients. My hope is that each of you will contribute to developing the company's business performance by striving to provide such value.

Second, I hope that each of you will work to enhance your own market value- that you'll seek to work from a global perspective, rather than simply being satisfied by approval within the company. Beginning today, you will learn how to do your jobs one task at a time, with guidance from your supervisors and experienced colleagues, and by learning on your own. I want to encourage each of you to grow quickly so that you can generate, through your own judgment and your own efforts, value that will satisfy our clients. At the same time, I hope you'll involve yourselves in your surroundings. I hope you'll seek to become professionals at a level valued not only within the company, but throughout the world.

In October of this year, Hitachi Cable will celebrate the 50th anniversary of its founding as an independent corporation. Based on foundations established by the ceaseless efforts of your predecessors, today's Hitachi Cable has grown to meet the lofty goal of satisfying the needs and expectations of clients around the world. We see this landmark as the company's "second founding" a chance for all of us to work together toward new success while preserving positive traditions from our past. I want each of you to go about your tasks with a spirit that welcomes challenge, unafraid of failure. I ask each of you to persist and to bring all of your efforts to their conclusion. I hope that all of you will grow as professionals while pursuing your dreams at Hitachi Cable.

The induction ceremony for new Hitachi Cable associates was held at the Hidaka Works in Hitachi City, Ibaraki Prefecture, on April 3, 2006.

Number of new graduates hired over the past three years

	University graduates			Holders of post-graduate degrees (figures in parentheses represent numbers of PhD holders)			Total
	Clerical staff	Engineers	Total	Clerical staff	Engineers	Total	Clerical staff	Engineers	Total
FY 2004	6	5	11	1	8 (1)	9 (0)	7	13	20
FY 2005	16	5	21	4	21 (1)	25	20	26	46
FY 2006	13	12	25	1	17	18	14	29	43

*	The number of new graduates hired in 2007 is expected to be equivalent to that in 2006.