Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd., has announced that it will concentrate business activities at "Sportsland Sugo," a comprehensive Motor Sports facility operated by Sugo Co., Ltd. (President: Seiji Shioiri), a subsidiary of Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd. Currently, Sportsland Sugo operates a variety of businesses peripheral to its core business in Motor Sports, including a hotel and numerous land sports facilities. Starting in April 2005, however, Sportsland Sugo will make a new start by specializing only in the Motor Sports business.
Sportsland Sugo opened in 1975 in Murata-machi, Shibata-gun, Miyagi Prefecture, based on the theme of "developing and expanding a healthy segment of Motor Sports fans." This Motor Sports facility, one of the largest in Japan, boasts a total area of 2.1 million m2, and offers four specialized race courses - a road racing course, a motocross course, a trial course, and a go-kart course - as well as a fully-equipped hotel. In 1980, numerous other recreational facilities were added, including a campground, tennis courts, a swimming pool, and field athletic grounds, making Sportsland Sugo a truly comprehensive Motor Sports facility that has offered fun and enjoyment to a wide range of customers.
In recent years, however, the diversification of customer values and increasingly harsh competition in the fields of hotel and leisure facilities have led to continuing difficulties in operation and management, particularly in businesses related to hotels and recreation. Since 1995, Sugo has undertaken various activities aimed at rebuilding these businesses, but despite these efforts it has faced difficulties in maintaining an acceptable level of profitability. Given this business environment, Yamaha has made the decision to have Sportsland Sugo specialize in the Motor Sports business.
Through this concentration of business, the operations of Sportsland Sugo will be specialized in the field of Motor Sports; for example, holding races and operating race courses. The Hotel Kunugi Sanso will close at the end of January 2005, and the land sports facilities, including the pool garden, archery range, and field athletics grounds, are scheduled to cease operations in March 2005.
Operation of the campground, multi-purpose fields, and other facilities that have been used as event venues by customers throughout the region will continue as in the past.
Sportsland Sugo is the only Motor Sports facility in Japan that offers specialized courses in four categories - road racing, motocross, trials, and go-karts. The road and go-kart courses meet certification standards for international regulations allowing international races to be held. The company has applied for a similar certification for its motocross course; when this application process is complete, Sportsland Sugo will become one of the few Motor Sports facilities in the world to offer three certified courses meeting international standards. The World Motocross Championships are already set to be held on this International motocross course in May 2005.
In this way, Sportsland Sugo will return to its origins - being a "base for Motor Sports" and a "venue for the proliferation of two-wheeled Motor Sports in Japan" - and will promote improvements to its business structure through specialization in the field of Motor Sports. |
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