A Look at the Heart of SVL

July 29 2021

We thought, in this blog post, that we would give you a glimpse into what drives us,  the people at SVL. Transparency is crucial to what we believe in and sharing with you the methods which we implement in our firm is a mode of creating harmony and trust between us, our clients, our customers and our partners. 

In our latest video release, hear what our co-founders Tatsuhiko Nakazawa and Glen Wood have to say about SVL, how we are revolutionizing the logistics industry and how people are at the center of our company and our corporate beliefs:

SVL aims to revolutionize the logistics industry, here in Japan and overseas, through e² or Extraordinary Efficiency™. Efficiency, sustainability and eco-friendly policies are at the heart of SVL and we are leading the way in these factors within the domestic logistics industry as we expand globally. We are also firm believers that happy people drive profits and that our people are at the core of our business and ultimately navigate it forward. An adherence to ethical practices and strong corporate governance are also at the heart of how we conduct ourselves. 

How SVL works

Let’s delve a bit deeper and showcase an example of how we, here at SVL, work on a daily basis. 

As a logistics company we deal in supply chains. But what is a supply chain? Let’s look at an example when we transport fresh vegetables from the field to a processing center. Typically about 30 percent will turn out to be waste. In many places in the world and especially in Japan, discarding this waste is extraordinarily expensive. And yet many companies opt to throw things away rather than look at other options. This is the textbook definition of inefficiency.

This is where SVL steps in by offering more sustainable and cheaper options. In the case of vegetables, we take them from the processing center, process the waste into our recycling machines (biobins) and then return it to the fields as highly effective and organic fertilizer. Thus creating a perfect and super-efficient palindromic economy. This process actually costs less than the other wasteful alternatives. 

We are always looking for ways to optimize and increase the sustainability of all of our operations. One of those ways is a process we’ve developed called DYNATEC™ (Dynamic Precision Total Environmental Control Systems). Various products are usually kept at different optimal temperatures. Most commonly a standard truck is set at one average temperature and in many cases, the temperature at the front of the truck might be very different from the back. An example is that lettuce and bananas have to be kept at very different temperatures and when not carefully monitored, the result is that you end up with half-frozen bananas and rotten lettuce. This lack of rigid temperature control generates a lot of waste. 

Our DYNATEC™ powered trucks, however, offer precision temperature control with support for multiple temperature environments perfect for transporting goods with unique condition requirements. Through this we reduce waste and costs for our customers. Our competitors have yet to match this service.  

Sustainable Management Practices are the cornerstone of successful businesses around the world. The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will, very soon, be the prerequisite for any serious corporate enterprises. We believe this also encompasses diversity, inclusion, and women in leadership within the organization. Ostensibly, happy employees make for a successful corporation. If the employees are not fans of the company, how would you expect customers to become loyal fans? 

From the outset, the belief that “family comes first” is at the core of our company ethos. Taking time off, paternity and maternity leave and a strict zero-tolerance harassment policy positions SVL at the driving seat in creating a balanced, profitable and socially conscious business.