- Kyocera held an official groundbreaking ceremony for its new subsidiary Kyocera Mexicana in Tijuana, Mexico. - Rather than giving speeches first, Kyocera's founder inspected the entire construction site and had all his questions answered before the ceremony. - The new subsidiary will manufacture products in Mexico to serve as a growing industrial center near the US.

1. Respett the Diuine and I ooP Peopl?
Presente tlr spirit to ruotk lnirly nnd
htntonbly, ond fo rcspecl people, ou uork,
our co1npnllV nfid olr cotnfry
New Challenges Ahead!
Kiyohide Shirai, Executive V.P. of Kyocera Americ a, hrc.,
prepares to assume KAI's Presidencli current President Kasey
Hasegawa moves on to lead Thito, Ltd., a Kyoc eru affiliate in Tokyo
Mnrch 7988
Volume 72, Nwnber 3
€r<goEERa

2. Passirg the Torch ...
Afnrewell from Kasey Hasegawa, President of Kyocera Americq,Inc., as he prepares to assume
the presidency of Taito, Ltd., a Kyocera aft'iliate in Tokyo,lapan
TI
It's hard to believe
that just over a year ago
KAI was struggling to
separate from KII in order
to become established as
an independent company.
There were so many ques-
tions, so many crises, so
much turmoil to contend
with. But now that the
worst is over, I think we
can all say, with con-
fidence, that we have suc-
ceeded. From here on, it
should just be a matter of
smoothing out the rough
edges.-And I have the ut-
most confidence that, with
all of your continued sup-
port, KAI will remain the
strongest, most profitable
operating company within
the KII group. I thank each
and every one of you for
making all our dreams a
reality.
But now the time has
come for me to move on.
Last week, I visited Tokyo
where I had a series of
meetings with Mr. Inamori,
Chairman of Kyocera Cor-
poration. He nominated
me as president-elect of
Taito Co., Ltd, a Kyocera af-
filiate company based in
Tokyo, which means that I
will have to leave Kyocera
America, Inc. This affiliate
company produces and
sells software for the
electronic game industry.
As you all know, Kyocera
Corporation has recently
gotten involved in the com-
munications industry
through Daini Denden,
Inc., and is now expanding
into the home entertarn-
ment business through our
affiliation with Thito Co.
Ltd.
It is not easy to express
my feelings about leaving
KAI and taking this new as-
signment. KAI and KII's
other group companies
have established very am-
bitious goals for the future.
My responsibility has been,
up until now, to work with
each of you to accomplish
this goal. I deeply regret
not being able to directly
oversee and help KAI in its
various endeavors, and I
feel sad that I must be
separated from all of you.
My memory goes back
to May 7,1977. I had just
started the San Diego plant
along with four other en-
gineers: Shirai; Takashi
Kawaguchi, V.P. of KMX;
Mike Kawamura, Execu-
tive V.P. of KNW; and Mr.
Kato, who's now with
Daini Denden. Our mis-
sion was to establish a
manufacturing foundation
for Kyocera in the states.
We experienced much
difficulty trying to estab-
lish ourselves here under
very turbulent economic
circumstances. Although
each month we seriously
considered closing the
plant due to financial
hardship, we were deter-
mined to succeed, regard-
less of the obstacles
standing in our way. We
posted a flag as a symbol
of our new company, and I
made up my mind then
that this flag would never
fall down.
I believed then, as I
believe today, that having
unrelenting enthusiasm to
accomplish your goal will
undoubtedly lead to suc-
cess. And success builds
confidence which will
allow you to challenge any-
thing... The key lies within
yourself. Please remember
this.
And now I must leave
KAI and challenge myself
Kev 2
continued on page 9

3. ... And Receivirg It
An inaugural address from Kiyohide Shirai , President-Elect of Kyocera Atnerica , Inc. on accepting
his neu position
A
-fa,s announced in the
recent organizational chan-
ges, I have been assigned
as president of KAI. Frank-
ly speaking, this came as
quite a surprise to me, and
leaves me with conflicting
feelings. On the one hand,
I am somewhat anxious
about my ability to execute
the role of president; on
the other hand, however, I
am enthusiastic about
meeting such a challenge
and will commit the best of
my efforts toward carrying
out such a heavy respon-
sibility.
It is impossible to look
back over the history of the
KII group without thinking
about our strong leader,
Mr. Kasey Hasegawa. As a
matter of fact, it was he
who got our San Diego
operation started back in
7977. I think we all can see
that today's KAI would
not exist if not for the ac-
cumulation of all his ef-
forts. His leaving the
company is very painful,
and I think we're losing a
great asset. If anybody has
fully lived and imple-
mented the Kyocera spirit,
it's Kasey. Not only has he
dedicated himself to the
growth of the company, he
has also gone to extremes
to help each one of us
reach the peak of our own
potential.
As Kasey always said,
"Business is an extensron
of the past into the future."
In keeping with this, my
new responsibility will be
to build upon the founda-
tion he laid here at KAI,
while at the same time rein-
forcing it and strengthen-
ing its very base.
To be honest, it mav be
above my ability to execute
such a heavy responsibility.
I still have a lot to learn.
But l willchallenge myself
to keep learning, and I will
commit mvself to tackling
any problem that may arise
with enthusiasm and a
strong fighting spirit. In
other words, I will dedicate
rnyself to KAI in order to
achieve our shared goals
and dreams. This I commit
to you.
I would like each of
you to share my en-
thusiasm toward the fu-
ture, and I look forward to
working together with
each of you in a new
capacity.
Again, I must praise
the contribution Kasey
gave to KAI and KII for so
manv years. I cannot ex-
press my gratitude with
words. His contribution
n'as remarkable, and I
rvish him the utmost suc-
cess and happiness in his
new assignment.
Knsal , Shirni nrd Tnknshi Kntt ngtLchi, Vice President of
Kvocers Mericnrut, S.A. de C.V.
-
Cfuistmas 1977.
Key l3

4. Chicago Employee Signs Maj or
Deal with NCR
Kyocera's sapphire ceramic is the clear
solution to
l-"-ongratulations to Ted Krieble,
Sales Engineer in Kyocera America's
Chicago Sales Office, on recently
booking an order for 1,000 units of a
new Kyocera product that could soon
be seen in grocery stores throughout
the Midwest.
No, this product is nof edible. It's
a "Sapphire on Glass" laser-scanner
window that's used at the cashier's
counter of grocery stores and other
retail establishments
-
and Ted's sale
of
,l,000
units to NCR, a major
manufacturer of cash registers, could
open the door to a huge market.
What does this product do? It ser-
ves as a protective window over the
laser beam that many supermarkets
use to check prices on the goods you
buy. This method of inputting price
information saves the cashier from
the time-consuming monotony of
visually checking the price of every
item and then keying the information
into a cash register. However, there's
a problem with conventional laser
'rvindows that other manufacturers
have not been able to solve. It seems
scratched glass
that soup cans and other hard items
scratch the laser-scanner's glass cover-
ing, which results in difficult or inac-
curate price readings
-
and as a
result, conventional laser scanner win-
dows must be replaced as often as
eaery eight ueeks.
Kyocera's Sapphire on Glass
(SOG) window solves this problem
through the use of a micro-thin layer
of single-crystal sapphire. This sap-
phire substrate covers the enti.re sur-
iace of the window, providing a clear
coating that is second in hardness
only to a diamond
-
and virtually
impossible to scratch. The Kyocera
SOG costs around $150 per unit and
is neuer expected to require replace-
ment.
"SOG windows are sort of a new
product for Kyocera, and NCR is
seriously evaluating our ability to
mass-produce them for laser-scan-
ning applications," Ted said. "Sap-
phire on Class is the perfect solution
to the scratching problems of conven-
tional glass, and we're very excited
about our recent progress. The poten-
Elation: KAI Snles Engineer Ted Kriebel
nnd Cttslomcr Scruice Reptresenlnt iue
Patty Swezey after booking 1,000 tu'tits of
Kyocern SOG uindotus fo IJCR,
tial for this product is absolutely
tremendous."
Congratulations to all Chicago
personnel for their heip with this
project
- and keep us posted on any
future developments!
"The potential
for this product
is absolutely
tremendous,"
- Ted Kriebel, Sales Engineer in
KAI's Chicago Sales Office
Look famili ar? Your local grocery check-
out is one of the primnry applications for
Kyocera's Sapphire-On-Glass laser scanner
windows.
The product Kyocern's mique SOG
lqser-scanner windoru is cogted uith n
micro-thin layer of synthetic sapphire
-second in hardness only to a diomond.
1a,/ a

5. Official Groundbreaking Held for
Ky,orrra is famous for doing things in uncommon urays. After aII, our coffipany was originally
established with just seaen people nnd a tiny amount of cipital
- at a time whetn lipanese siart-ui
Kyocera Mexicana, S.A. de C.V.
ventures were extremely unusual.
Nonetheless, we've grown to become
one of the world's largest manufac-
turers of technical ceramics, and we
still like do things our in own way
rather than blindly following the rules
of tradition. For example...
When ground was officially
broken at the site of Kyocera's newest
subsidiary company on February 15,
not a single speech was given until a
company greeting committee had
toured the construction site from ton
to bottom. There in the dust and diit,
Mr. Inamori, Kyocera's foundel, per-
sonally inspected the entire project
-from the blueprints of the building to
the poured concrete of the foundation
itself. And not until Kyocera person-
nel had answered every question did
the group of approximately 100 guests
return to construction headquarters
for speeches and a ceremonial toast.
The new stlosidiary is, of course,
Kyocera Mexicana, S.A. de C.V.,
(KMX) of Tijuana, Mexico
-
the home
of a growing number of industrial
facilities from the world's largest inter-
national companies. With the
Kyocera commitment to quality at
every level of our operations
-
from
site selection to the products that bear
our name
-
we're confident that
KMX will become a very successful
manufacturing enterprise.
Sntisfied that KMX is beginning lit'e as a
fi rst -cl ass Ky oc er a subsidiary, Mr.
Irnnrori giaes thnnks to aII parties in-
tol-ted in the construction and wishes the
rtncbont n long and happy existence. o
(Aboue) Kyocera personnel reaiew site
plans before the KMX groundbreaking.
From left: Mike Inoue, KII V.P. of Busi-
ness Plnnning; Mr Kazuo Inamori,
Kyocera's founder; Brad Lillmars, KII
Property Manager; qnd Liaio Santini,
the architect for the KMX building.
(Below) ...The reason this type of cere-
mony is known as a " groundbreaking."
(Aboae) Amaze of steel reinforcement
bar blankets an area to be filled with
concrete as part of the KMX facility's
100,000 sqiare-foot t'oundation.
(Below) Before any formnl tuords were
spoken
- and bet'ore. any champagne
tonsts were made
- Mr. Inamori oer-
sonally toured the entire site and in-
spected progress at eaery point.
Key lS

6. TheI{ewsinBKyocera's entire North American Croup
Kyocera to be Major Presenting Sponsor of 1988 San Diego
Inamori LPGA Golf Classic
LPCA stands for Laclies Profes-
sional GoIf Association, and Kyocera's
involvement in it stretches back to
1980. For 1988, we're proud to say
that our company will again be a
major presenting sponsor of the San
Diego Inamori LPGA Classic, taking
place April 6-10 at Stoneridge
Country Club in Poway, California.
Over the years, the Inamori Clas-
sic has evolved into a major sporting
event which is eagerly anticipated by
players and spectators alike. "We're
very pleased that this event is return-
ing to the San Diego area again for
7988," said Brad Lillmars, who
chaired the 1987 Classic. "Most of
all, though, we're extremely grateful
for the support we're receiving from
other organizations as well. This
shows us that the San Diego Inamori
Classic has become a truly large-scale
community event."
Lillmars pointed to this year's
greater community involvement in
the Classic as proof of San Diego's
emergence as a center for American
heard about this program, Safety
Bingo can be explained as follows:
it's a bingo game conducted for a
prize, and only departments with
clean safety records can play.
KFI management recently an-
nounced the winners of a special
Valentine's Day version of lhis
game, in which members of the win-
ning departments were given din-
ner and a box of chocolates for their
spouses (or special friends). Win-
ners were as follows: (left photo,
left to right) Bobbie Wiggins, Anita
Newman, Ruby Wines, Bobbie
professional sports. Coming after a
blockbuster America's Cup race
-and a knockout Super Bowl
-
the
1988 Inamori Classic promises to adti
fuel to the fire of excitement that's en-
gulfing San Diego as "America's
Finest Clty" for commerce and
tourism alike. "The new tournament
managers have found an excellent,
beautiful location at Stoneridge
Country Club," Lillmars continued.
"All preliminary indicators suggest
that the Inamori Classic will again be
a highlight on the annual LPGA tour
Stoneridge (below) is considered one oi
the most beautiftil cltLbs in the sren.
Ayako Okamoto, ruinner of the L987
Inamori Classic, wiII be in the competition
for this year's Classic at Stoneridge
Country CIub in Poway, California.
Coforth and |ean Haney; (right
photo) jay Robinson, Dick Mash-
burn. Ken Umeno. Robert Huf-
fstedtler and Al Knapp. Congrat-
ulations, and keep up the safe lvorkl
More "Safety Bingo" Winners from Kyocera Feldmuehle, lnc.
ttSaf"ty
Bingo" has proved both
fun and effective in promoting safe
lvork procedures at Kyocera
Feldmuehle, Inc., of Mountain Home,
North Carolina. In case you haven't

7. Kyocera's HORIZO^/ '88 f apan Trip
- fo, Your Child?
Youth is a time for learning and
pluy*g. And of all the summer ac-
tivities available to your child, what
could possibly be more educational,
more fun, and more relevant to con-
temporary living than a trip to lapan?
Imagine your son or
daughter getting off an air-
liner in Tokyo
- staying with
a |apanese host family
- and
spending ten days touring
the nation that manufactures
so many of our most
cherished consumer products!
If you like the sound of
this, you'll be pleased to
know that it's a summary of
Kvocera's annual HORIZON
program for 10- to 14-year-
olds. And in keeping with
the tradition that began in
7977,HORIZON'88 is al-
ready gearing up to take 18
American youngsters to
Japan fromJuly 29 through August 7
-
with all expenses paid by Kyocera
and its North American subsidiary
comPanles.
HORIZON'88 will include nine
children of Kyocera's North American
employees, and nine others will be
chosen to join them from schools in
the areas of our major manufacturing
operations. Will your child be be-
tween the ages of 10 and 14 on JuIy
29, 7988? If so, he or she is eligible for
the trip
- and here's how to apply:
HORIZON'88 entry materials
will be available throush the Person-
Happy Commuters: HORIZON' 87
participants Shirley Morales and laz-
zerine Aranton seem to enjoy lapan's 120-
mph Shinkansen, or "Bullet Trnin."
Shirley is the daughter of Adela Morales,
rpho works in Dept. 5743 nt l(yocera
America,Inc., and fazzerine is the
daughter of Myrna Aranton, who works
in Dept.7806 ctt l(yocera Northwest, Inc.
nel Departments of all Kyocera
facilities by March 18. The deadline
for your child to fill out a HORIZON
'88 application is April 15
- so
make sure he or she completes the
HORIZON entry form ur toon as pos-
sible. Participants will be
chosen in a random drawing
by Kyocera administrators
shortly after April 15.
In order to make selec-
tion completely fair, the num-
ber of participants chosen
from each Kyocera subsidiary
will be based on the number
of applications submitted by
the employees of each com-
pany. If a subsidiary has rela-
tively few applicants, it may
be grouped with smaller
Kyocera companies to ensure
an equal opportunity for all.
HORIZON'88 is a uni-
que employee benefit, and a
heartfelt gift to the communities in
which Kyocera operates in North
America. We strongly.encourage you
to take advantage of this program if
your child is eligible. Cultural aware-
ness is increasingly important in
today's globally-linked economy
-and HORIZON offers your child the
best possible head start!
KFI Employees loin Community Volleyball Leagues
The employees of Kyocera
Feldmuehle, Inc. are pleased to an-
nounce that their company's team
spirit has found a second home after
hours
- on the volleyball court.
It began last fall, when 14 KFI
employees decided to form a team in
KFI #1: These employees are KFI's attsck
firce in the locnl spiking aolleyball league.
the local volleyball league. This very
first season ended with an encourag-
ing third-place finish, and as team par-
ticipation climbed to 25 employees
-one-sixth of the comp any's total
raorkforce
-
a second team was
formed. Today, "KFI#7" plays in
the league's spiking division, while
"KFI#2" gives the company's less
brutal employees a chance to play in a
setting where spiking is prohibited.
Both divisions are coed, with three
men and three women on the court at
all times to encourage equal participa-
ltion for all.
Hopes are high that KFI teams
will end up at the top of their
divisions when the season ends. KFI
management has been extremely sup-
portive, and has even started a con-
test to see which team finishes with
the better record. With the type of en-
thusiasm that has helped bring record-
setting profits to KFI recently, how
can either team lose?
KFI #2: The non-spikers
- this team
ruas formed so KFI could win two separate
Ieagues in the same season.
Key l7

8. New Production Methods Revolutio nize
Quality At Kyocera America, Inc.
A
.fl.reuolutionary method of produc-
tion known as Statistical Process Control
(SPC) was introduced to Kyocera
America,Inc. in early 1986. Since then,
SPC methods haae tqken root in qII KAI
production diaisions, with a growing
number of departments getting inaolaed
in SPC each month. The following inter-
uiew with Dt Ed Kraft, KAI's Assistant
Plant Manager for Technical Support,
outlines the nature of SPC snd the ad-
aantages it will bring to KAI production.
Dr. Kraft, what exactly is this
SPC program all about?
It's about achieving perfect
product quality. SPC is a method of
manufacturing in which line workers,
leads, supervisors and engineers
analyze the production process itself
-
not just the product
-
at regular
intervals. In simple terms, SPC is a
way of monitoring the production
line and controlling it so that it never
fails to meet our quality objectives.
What do you meflnby monitor-
ing the production process
-isn't that uthat u)e'oe alwarls
done?
Actually, no. taditionally, we
have measured the quality of a
product at different points on our
production lines primarily for the pur-
On the phone or on the production line,
Burke Sc'hwenk of KAI's Dept.4060 uses
SPC in many of his daily duties.
Key l8
Dt Ed Kraft is responsible for implementing and coordinating the new Stqtistical
Process Control program at Kyocera America,Inc. The other indiaiduqls shown in this
article are gradulates of KAI's recent course on SPC quality procedures.
pose of accepting or rejecting it. This
is true of our entire industry. In con-
trast, the SPC program devotes
tremendous resources to collecting
and charting data that reveal how
well the production line is perform-
i.g
-
so we have an abundance of
numerical statistics on the process at
all times.
Why are numeical statistics
so important?
Well, let's say that a machine is
beginning to malfunction, as
machines are known to do from time
to time. Whenever this happens, the
SPC data we collect will show us that
some aspect of our product is being
measurably affected. Using these
numerical statistics, employees on
the line can actually identify the
machine in question and have it ser-
viced before it begins to produce
defective parts. Without these statis-
tics, you're basically relying on an
educated guess.
necessary?
Absolutely. In the first place,
SPC will allow our customers to use
our parts with no incoming inspec-
tion
- saving them a great deal of
time and money. This makes them
want to come back to us for their next
order, which is extremely important
now that our competitors are im-
plementing SPC programs of their
ornm. And it's not just our industry
that's doing this. SPC is appearing in
every area of manufacturing, from
clay mining to food processing
-simply because of the improved
quality and productivity it brings.
Why wasn't SPC important 1-0
years ago?
It probably was, but we just
didn't realize it. In fact, one of the
main factors behind Japan's status as
an industrial power is the fact that it
recognized the benefits of SPC-related
Aurora Dolopo and Remy Abutin, both I0-
year employees, apply SPC methods to
the CERDIP division's Side Braze area.

9. principles as early as the 1950s. You
can probably remember when
Japanese products were considered
cheap imitations of high-quality
Western goods. Well, many experts
believe that SPC-related practices
have been partly responsible for
Japan's rise to the top of global
manufacturing.
So SPC is really not abrand
neza idea?
Oh, by no means. Statistical
Process Control dates back to the
early decades of this century, when
the foundation for today's SPC was
developed at Bell Laboratories. At
Kyocera America, the SPC concepts
we're implementing are an accumula-
tion of ideas from a number of quality
experts around the globe.
Why didn't SPC catch on in the
U.S. until recently?
Good question. We can only
presume that, after the Second World
Wa1, the U.S. felt no real need to
devote such intense efforts to quality.
(Top) Kent Bruzzone and (bottom) Sheila
Sternberg and Onal Ross are recent
graduates of KAI's special SPC course.
American manufacturers were the
best in the world, and relatively few
of our industries faced international
competition. Today, howevel, as
developing countries across the globe
begin to industrialize, the competition
is oaerwhelming
-
and it's growing
more intense all the time. There's just
no way a modern company can sur-
vive with a complacent attitude
toward product quality and produc-
tion efficiency.
Where. is Ky ocera Ameica
using SPC, Dr. Kraft?
We're using it to an increasing ex-
tent in all of our production divisions.
In many cases we're still in the early
(Ieft,I to r) Ester Foidl and Alicia Alfaro
of CERDIP put SPC principles to work
while Ed Omega (right, sitting) and Ed
Salta analyze data in Adaanced Packaging.
stages, but our only major impedi-
ment is a lack of experience with SPC
principles. Time and dedication will
take care of this. And as we become
more adept at SPC, it will be easier to
implement it into every new produc-
tion department. Every time we see
SPC help one department improve its
yield, quality and profitability, we see
other departments growing interested
in the new program as well.
Who brought SPC to KAI?
Fortunately, our customers
brought SPC to our attention.
They've told us we need it to provide
the quality levels they'll require in the
immediate future.
Who will ffiake this program a
success?
The people in the production and
engineering groups who are currently
working with SPC on their lines
- to
a certain extent, these people hold our
future in their hands... And I'm glad
to say that they're a remarkably
qualified group.
Passing the Torch...
(continued
t'rom page 2)
to take on a new responsibility
-
to
expand my efforts in order to estab-
lish an even greater Kyocera. I firmly 1
believe such efforts will help
Kyocera's North American opera-
tions, and hence, each of you.
Mr. Shirai, Executive V.P., will suc-
ceed my responsibility as President of
KAI, effective April 1, 1988. I have al-
ways considered him to be my'better
half' and have great confidence that
he will establish a firm foundation for
KAI under your strong support. I con-
gratulate him in his new assignment
and ask each of you to assist him as
you have assisted me in the past.
In closing, I hope that each of you
continues to take a challenging at-
titude toward life, both here and at
home. Having the vitality and en-
thusiasm to conquer all difficulties
will inevitably lead to success and
confidence. Again, I thank each of
you for your dedication and contribu-
tions
-
my heart is with you always.
Key l9

10. KNW Production: Up Almost 300%
Duri.g The Past Year
Employees compete in plant-wide productioity contests at the
KNW f acility in Vancouoet Washington
l-r
It-onsratulations to the
employees"of Kyocera
Northwest, Inc., of Vancouver,
Washington!
KNW administrators
recently announced that
production volume at their
plant climbed by almost 300
percent between lanuary 7987
and January 1988. This impres-
sive performance represents
unending efforts on the part of
all KNW employees to estab-
lish their company
-
which
started operating just two
years ago major
American supplier of ceramic
chip capacitors. According to
KNW Personnel Manager Den-
nis Chapman, the key element
behind this accomplishment
has been a strong sense of team-
work among all KNW
employees.
"We began a new program
in November 7987 to help
make employees more aware
of productivity," Dennis said.
"For three consecutive months,
we held an internal produc-
tivity contest which recognized
outstanding individual and
group efforts in areas relating
to productivity. Overall, we
think this contest was very suc-
cessful in showing us the im-
portance of teamwork in any
major plant activity."
The contest began with
monthly plans drawn up by
plant management in the areas
of sttendnnce and hourly
efficiency. Hourly Efficiency
was calculated as a
department's total number of
perfect parts produced during
the month, divided by the total
number of production hours;
attendance was planned as a
percentage of the total avail-
able workforce. At the end of
the month, the departments
with the best performance as
compared to their plan were an-
nounced as the winners. The
prize consisted of a trophy to
the winning department, a $10
cash award to each employee,
and group pictures of the win-
ners posted in the plant's work
areas and on bulletin boards.
Visual (Dept. 5565) won
the hourly efficiency competi-
tion in November and Decem-
ber 7987, with Ink & Paste
(Dept. 5527) narrowly edging
them out for victory in ]anuary.
Attendance honors were
divided among several tie
finishes, with victories ultimate-
ly going to Mix & Mill (Dept.
55'l 1), Screen Manufacturing
(Dept. 5528), Intermediate
Check (Dept. 5535) and Ink &
Paste.
Again, congratulations to
all KNW employees for their
success in raising production
output so dramatically over the
past year. We're expecting
many more achievements from
you in the future!
The Ink & Paste Department won I(NW's December
7987 Productiuity Contest in both categories, Hotrly
Efficiency ond Attendance. From Ieft are Renee
Hamiltott, Stez;e Lin, Lolita Vilante and Marcy Thison,
The Intermediate Check Department was KNW's
December utinner in attendance (by tie). Kneeling (t'rom
Ieft) are Chuck Letryenod and Ferminn Kannaw;
Standing (from left) are Toshi l(nwadn,Valery Varhnn,
Donna Anglin, Mark Paget,Tony Yu and Kenny Yi.
Key 110

11. Throu Sleet, Snow and More Rain...
Vancouver Sales office Senres Customers
Throughout the Pacific Northwest
lyocera America's Vancouver
Sales Ofiice is located in sunny Van-
couver, Washington, just across the
beautiful Columbia River from
Portland, Oregon. This office consists
of five individuals who are dedicated
to providing perfect customer service:
Ms. Jackie Osborne, Customer Service
Representative; Ms. Sandee Jessop,
Customer Service Clerk; Mr. Kent
Feller, Sales Engineer; Mr. Tark
Sasaki, Applications Manager; and
Mr. Bob Whislel, Regional Sales
Manager. We're located in Kyocera
Northwest, Inc.'s chip capacitor plant,
where we rent space in the KNW Per-
sonnel Department.
Because we're a liaison office at-
tached to Kyocera America's sales
operations in San Jose, California, we
carry almost all KAI products in the
Fine Ceramics Division. This leaves
us with responsibility for semiconduc-
tor packages, substrates and lids,
metallized products, sapphire
products, and I/O storage devices.
And as a liaison office, it is our
responsibility to support and develop
a diverse customer base over a very
large geographic expanse
-
covering
the states of Washington, Montana,
Wyoming, Oregon and Idaho, as well
as Western Canada. Since so many of
you make phone contact with us on a
fairly regular basis, we thought it
would be nice to let you know more
about who you're dealing with.
For those of you who are aware
of our city's reputation, you may be
surprised to learn that, no, it does not
rain every day here! As a matter of
fact, last summer we enjoyed a record
of more than 60 consecutive days
without a downpour. Of course, the
winters are very wet in Vancouver, c
with an average high temperature of
45-55 E, lows of 30-40 E, and an
average monthly rainfall of anywhere
from4to6inches.
Like Kyocera Corporation's
Kokubu Plant in Japan, we have our
own active volcano
-
Mount St.
Helens, a U.S. counterpart to Mount
Sakurajima in Japan's kagoshima
Prefecture. In addition to this natural
wondel, we enjoy daily views of
Mount Hood and MountAdams, and
even rare glimpses of Mount Rainier,
about 150 miles to the North.
Recreation wise, the Vancouver
area provides many more outdoor ac-
tivities than most Kyocera employees
can appreciate. (We don't have
enough spare time!) Our Columbia
River Gorge was recently the subject
of a news feature on National Public
Radio for its unique winds, which
have created an international hot spot
for wind surfing and sailing. The
woods and streams of the Northwest
are abundant with fish and game for
the sportsman, and we are fortunate
to be less than an hour from a num-
ber of snow-skiing and mountain-
climbing opportunities... Some of
which are extremely challenging for
the novice. As a matter of fact, we
had to rescue one certain Kyocera
salesman from three separate mountain
climbs last year!
(We promised we wouldn't
mention any names, but his initials
are Rick Sigliano.)
As you can see, the respon-
sibilities of a liaison office staff are
very demanding and frequently un-
predictable, resulting in new challen-
ges on a daily basis. For this reason,
we feel very fortunate to live in such
pleasant surroundings where one can
find it easy to relax and enjoy life. We
also wish to take this mass-media op-
portunity to thank the many people
in all Kyocera operations who help
make our daily jobs easier. Domo ar-
rigato, from everyone in the Van-
couver Sales Office!
Tark Sasaki
Kent Feller
lackie Osborne
Sandee lessop
Key 111

12. Speaker's Forum
Can You Do
Absolutely
Nothing?
by Bruce O. Lemoine,Vice President of Kyocera International,Inc.
T'I lease don't laugh at the title of
this article. I'm serious! From time to
time I practice "doing nothing," and
it's not a simple thing to do
- but it
ls well worth the effort. I personally
don't do it all the time, and neither
should you. However, there are times
when "doing nothing" can be very
rewarding. First, though, let me warn
you that those of us who practice this
art of "doing nothing" are subject to
being misunderstood by our friends
and associates, so it's best to do it
only when you're alone.
Now, before you stop reading this
article, I must make one thing very
clear: "doing nothing" is not easy!
Like any other art, it takes a lot of
time and patience to master. Perhaps
you disagree. "Anyone can do noth-
ing," you say, and I'm sure a frown of
skepticism is growing over your face.
But
- have you ever really tried
it? I would guess that most of you
have not. Oh. we all take breaks
when we're working on a lengthy
project, but in my definition, this does
not qualify as doing "nothing." For
example, let's suppose you're work-
ing at some chore around the house
and you decide to stop and rest. You
may pour yourself a cup of coffee, a
beer or whatever, retire to the easy
chair, turn on the radio or the TV and
reach for the newspaper
-
and you
say to yourself, 'I am doing nothing.'
But actually, you're doing several
things at the same time! Count them:
drinking, listening and reading.
Clearly, doing nothing is not
something that comes to those who
treat it lightly. If you don't listen to
that nasty voice that tells you you're
wasting time, "doing nothing" can be
a very positive activity. It can in-
crease your productivity, make you
more alert and challenge you to be
more competitive. So, without fur-
ther delay, here is my recipe for doing
nothing:
First, Iocate a place where you
can be alone
-
free from all noise
and distractions. Sit down, do not
read, do not listen to the radio or
watch TV and do not pick up a
crossword puzzle. Just sit down and
gaze at what's in front of you! Use
your imagination if necessary: it may
be a lake, a quiet stream, a rock or a
painting on the wall. My favorite
place is a fapanese rock garden.
My mind usually protests in the
beginning, because it doesn't want to
abandon the projects I'm working on.
I begin to think: the lawn needs
mowing, I'm behind in my expenses,
my checks, my bills, I need to make
personal calls, etc., but I still remain
quiet and in a reclining position. And
after a few minutes, I finally grow
calm and at peace, like a fretful, dis-
turbed child drifting off to sleep, and
there I am, alone, relaxed, always
aware/ but doing absolutely nothing.
On rare occasions, thoughts that
border on genius are created in this
"doing nothing" environment. Usual-
ly nothing quite so earthshaking oc-
curs, but my pulse and my blood
pressure both slow down, and the
problems of just a few moments ago
seem to fade away. For a short while,
I step outside the frantic pace of my
life and just float on a magic carpet.
I am sometimes accused of wast-
ing time by a well-intentioned friend.
However, I know better!
_ Prop. 65 Brings Warning Signs to Caltfurnia
f, ,o., ti.r" it California, you I and industrial establishments to warn I common consumer products must
may have noticed a recent increase in I individuals and communities of their | no- carry a variation of this warning
the number of chemical warning I possible exposure to any of the listed I Vou'll soon notice these signs in
signs you see in commercial busi- | chemicals. This means that you'll I some of Kyocera's California opera-
nesses. These signs are the result of I now be seeing the following warning I tions as well. Kyocera has always
-Proposition65-abillknownasthe I inawiderangeofbusinesses-in- | andwillcontinue-tooperateits
"Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enfor- | cluding gas stations, restaurants, facilities in compliance with all ap-
cement Act" passed by California I grocery stores, and hospitals: I plicable health, safety and environ-
voters in November 7986. This law re- I 'Warning: chemicals are used in I mental laws. We do this through
quired the governor of California to 1 | this facility which are known by the programs of chemical and environ-
develop a list of chemicals deter- | state of California to cause cance{, I mental air monitoring, employee
mined by the state to cause cancer, I birth defects or other reproductive I education, and a strong commitment
birth defects or other reproductive I harm. California law requires that I to maintaining safe and healthy work-
harm, and it now requires all retail I this warning be given." Even many I ing conditions for all our employees.
Key 112

13. In the Li
also a tireless amateur actor who per-
forms with local theater groups
throughout the Hendersonville and
Asheville areas of North Carolina. "I
try to perform in about five plays a
year when I can find the time," Bla-
que says. "I love to act, and I can do
everything from comedy to tragedy."
That's the understatement of the
month. At the time of this writing,
Blaque is playing in "Good Evening,"
a series of 13 comedy sketches written
by Dudley Moore and Peter Cook;
and immediately before that he per-
formed the lead role in "Cold
Storage," a moving drama about a ter-
minally-ill cancer patient. Since 7976,
Blaque has appeared in approximate-
ly 60 dit't'erent productions
- and while
his performing career is strictly
amateur, he once even considered
taking up acting as a profession.
"I went to acting school for about
two years, until I realized that making
it big on Broadway or in Hollywood
carries about the same odds as being
hit by a meteor," Blaque said. "I
knew I'd have to find a stable way to
make a living, but I didn't want to
give up my theatre." Fortunately,
since joining KFI in 1981, Blaque has
been able to maintain an active
schedule of performances throughout
the year. And when he's not acting?
"It sounds funny, but I sometimes
even need a break from the theatre,"
Blaque quips. "And when that hap-
pens
-
if there's a minute of spare
time left over
-
I like to retreat into
the woods with my camera to do
some nature photography." Inciden-
tally, Blaque uses Yashica camera
equipment only, and his prints verge
on studio quality.
We wanted to keep business out
of this article, but Blaque insisted on
recognizing his co-workers for their
success in bringing a record level of
profit to KFI over the past year.
" After my experiences here at KFI, I
have to say that I'm really, really
proud of the way our company has
come together to make us more
profitable. We've got a lot of
employees who have been here a long
time, watching this situation improve
gradually, and we're very proud of
the progress we've built. "
For someone who works and
plays so hard, is there time for any-
thing else?
'Well, yes," Blaque concludes. "I
have to make time for my two
daughters... And then about six or
seven hours of sleep a night."
We appreciate your efforts at KFI,
Blaque
-
and we hope they continue
for a long time to come.
Blaque Fowler (standing) and " Soler,"
both of WI's Shipping Depnrtment,
perform in a recent production of the
play "Good Eoening" by Dudley
MooreandPeterCook.
TI'T
I o be. or not tobe?"
For Blaque Fowleq, this famous
question from Shakespeare's "Ham-
let" might refer to a choice of careers.
Employees of Kyocera Feldmuehle,
Inc., of Mountain Home, North
Carolina, know Blaque as the resident
Supervisor of Shipping
-
but he's
Blaque took these photographs ot' the wild
using a Yashica FXD 35mm camera. Bla-
que and his wife, Barbarq, own two FXD
catnera bodies as weII qs 50mm,100mm
macro and 200mm telephoto lenses
- all
purchased through Ky ocera's employ ee
sale program.
Key 113

14. People Profile
Emp loy e e Annia ers ai e s, Promotions,
the
Ten Ye ar Annizt ers ari e s FioeYears
Dianita Andrade, Depart-
ment 5842, Kyocera
America, Inc.
Mike Basiewicz, Depart-
ment7070, Kyocera
Feldmuehle,Inc.
Luisito Bautista, Depart-
ment 5331, Kyocera
America, Inc.
Nobuo lzum| Depart-
ment 5843, Kyocera
America, Inc.
Gary Fugate, Department
5911, Kyocera
Feldmuehle,Inc.
Dick
Chiong,
5742,KII
Lolita
Villasinor,
5842, KAI
Rosalina
Basallaje,
4052, KAI
Gracieli
Gemoto,
5742,K41
Sandra
Alatorre,
5841, KAI,
Soledad
Cunamay,
5841, KAI
Unao ailable for Photo
Fifteen Years: fean Barnwell,5502, KFI; Ten Years: Aurora GiI,5333, KAI; Rosita Kealohapoule, 4060, KAI;
Dick Mashbtrn,62, KFI; and Marie Torres,7803, KNW
ThreeYears M arri ag es, B irths, Et c.
Peter Chui, Video Arcade,
Kyocera Unison, Inc.
Sally Ellis, 8020, Kyocera
America, Inc.
Zenaid.a Gonzales, 407 7,
Kyocera America, Inc.
Humbert "Iojo" Javal-
lana,Department 7803,
Kyocera Northwest,
Inc.
Van Hue La, Dept. 5841,
HonorEmployees
Kyocera America, Inc.
Mac McReynolds, Ship-
ping, Kyocera Unison
Jay Nabonne, Program-
ming Department, KUI
Crispin Oreas, sUz,KAI
Frances Porter, 7706, KAI
Evelyn S chw eitzer, 57 47,
Kyocera America, Inc.
Myrna Trias, Dept. 5842,
Kyocera America, Inc.
1
Doug Allday,7807,KAI,
and his wife, Patti, had
an 8 lb., 1 oz. daughter,
Claire Frances Allday,
on December 4,7987.
Michael Webster
Flanders, 5740,KAI,
and his wife, Maria
Cristina, had a baby
girl, Felicia Miranda
Flanders, on December
24,7985. Mike and
Cristina formalized
their vows in an in-
timate ceremony on
December 3,7987.
Yoshi Isobe,7805, KAI,
and his wife, Michiko,
had a 61b.,75 oz.
daughter, Yoko Isobe,
on February 27,7988.
Evelyn G. Schweitzer,
5747,KAI, and her hus-
band, Kevin Schweit-
zer,had a7 1b.,7 oz.
son, Kevin Schweitzer
jr., on january 79,7988.
fean Haney,5401, KFI
Gelita Mejia,4060, KAI
Key 174

15. birth or
it to lay
International,
92123,
People Profile
Promotions
Johnny Bendel,5523,
KNW, from Operator
to Service Worker
Martha Chapman,4010,
KAI, from QA Tech-
nician to Assistant Su-
pervisor
John Dooley,7703,KAI,
from Sales Associate to
Sales Engineer
Rick Ten Eyck,7804-82,
KEI, from Marketing
and Advertising for
Electronic Systems
Group to Western
Regional Sales
Manager for Cybernet
Marine Division
Darren Gale,5550, KNW,
from Service Worker to
Technician
Ronald Hausinger, 5560,
KNW, from Senior
Technician to Lead
Technician
Linda Higbee,5523,
KNW from Operator
to Service Worker
Carol Holloway,4080,
KAI, from Inspector to
QC Clerk
Wendy fordan, 5505,
KNW from Opertor to
Production Expeditor
Young Ko,5550, KNW
from Service Worker to
Lead Operator
fackie Mabry,5522,
KNW from Operator
to Service Worker
Tievor Manwell, 5523,
KNW, from Operator
to Service Worker
Gelita Mejia, 4060, KAI,
from Senior Operator
H to QA Technician
Honor Status
Julie Miller,5560, KNW
From Operator to Lead
Operator
Sharon Mowry,5522,
KNW, from Operator
to Technician
Kendall Poirier, 5512,
KNW, from Operator
to Weekend Lead
Operator
Wilfred " Bill" Schmidt,
5570, KNW, from
Operator to Technician
Domi Shoemaker,5565,
KNW, from Service
Worker to Lead
Operator
Eiji Tanaka,5700, KAI,
from Production
Manager to Division
Manager
Kikue Thompson,4073,
KAI, from Sr. Inspector
H to Sr. Inspector Lead
H
Margaret Tsay, 5505,
KNW, from Lead
Operator to Produc-
tion Expeditor
Lolita Vilante, 5527,
KNW from Lead
Operator to Senior
Lead Operator
Bob Whisler, KAI Van-
couver, from Field
Sales Manager to Sales
Manager of New
Product Development
and Marketing
Manager
Copyright O Februarv 198E
by Kyocera International,
Inc. Pub[shed for the
employees and friends of
Kvocera's North American
oPeraoons:
Kyocera InternaIional, Inc.
Kyocera America, Inc.
Kyocera Electronics, Inc.
Kyocera Northwest, Inc
Kyocera Feldmuehle, Inc
Kvocera Unison, Inc.
Kyocera Canada, Inc.
Yashica, Inc.
Kinamed, Inc
Kvocera Mexicana,
S.A. de C V
Staff:
Jay Scovie
rt----:-^ E:;!^-
Correspondents:
Kimmie Hwang. KAI; ick
Visconti, Heidi Kastl, KEI;
Dennis Chapman,
Stephanie Mantev KNW;
Sheila McCaule-v, Ku1;
Shirlie Cairnes, Tim Riddle,
KFI; Marc Lalernand, KC;
Dr Ian Clarke, KMD; Joe
Martinez, KMX
€ KuEEERa
On the Coaer...
A formal farev,ell to Kasel
Hasegawa as he leat,es the
U .5. to assume the
Presidency of Taito, Ltd., a
Kyocera ffiliate in Tokl'o.
with Clifford M. Ostrander, 4005, KAI, s Kyocera
employee since 7981, passed aTuay on lanuary
25, 1988 after a long illness. We look bnck on
his longstanding efforts with toarm hearts qnd
fond memories.
Key 115

16. The Keu to Success
Field
Theory
And
Kyocera's
Together, these concepts are
known as the "field theory"
-
a
theory which also serves as the foun-
dation for many of Kyocera's manage-
ment principles. Excellent illust-
rations of this can be found in many
stories of the Old West.
As you know, our pioneers en-
countered countless obstacles as they
led their Conestoga wagon trains
over the mountains and deserts of the
frontier. For the most part, the only
wagon trains that succeeded were the
ones that had a strong Wagon Master
-
someone who could create an at-
(Aborte) At Kyocera Feldmuehle,Inc., of Mountam
Home, North Carolina, compas often consist of steak
dinners cooked on-site. Seated abooe ruith KFI Presi-
dent Mike Lnshford nre lohn Turner, Eddie Larriuz nnd
lean Barnuell
Management
T
lf you ever played with a mag-
net as a child, you were probably
amazed at its ability to attract other
objects. Remember how a magnet at-
tracts only certain metals? How its
magnetic attraction decreases as it is
moved away from an object? How a
strong magnet seems to have a mysti-
cal power to influence other metals
-even turningthem into magnets for a
little while themselves?
mosphere of unity, team spirit and
direction. At night, the wagons
would gather in a circle, with the
Wagon Master plotting out the next
day's journey and listening to any
special problems or concerns the
other members had. Overall, the suc-
cess of any caravr.n largely depended
on the lVagon Master's skill in creat-
ing this atmosphere, or field, of com-
naninnshin
greatly influenced
-
taking on a
"magnetic charge" themselves
-while others are influenced only
slightly, or not at all.
The Kyocera "coftrpa" is another
example. Taken from the word "com-
panionship," this word (pronounced
"KOOM-pah") refers to the company
dinners where managers and other
employees mingle after hours in a
non-business atmosphere. It's simply
another method for extending the
company/s "field"
-
it diminishes
the distance between the "magnet"
and the other members, and makes it
less difficult for the "magnet" to in-
fluence and guide them.
Why are these meetings so impor-
tant at Kyocera? Maybe it's because
our company was started in such a
strong field of leadership and desire.
Today, we continue to seek employ-
ees willing to take part in our dy-
namic "field"
-
and in becoming
"magnets" ourselves, we form the
key to our own success.
Kvocera's morning meetings are
a modern example of this same
phenomenon. Like a magnet, the
group's leader comes into close con-
tact with the others, pointing out new
directions and strategies for overcom-
ing the obstacles that lie ahead.
Ar-rd, Iike metals in the presence
of a magnet, some employees are
(SKsEEERa