ILMINSTER NEWS: Jake and Sweet Surprise benefit from Daido’s anniversary

ILMINSTER firm Daido Industrial Bearings has celebrated its 15th anniversary by donating nearly £1,500 to local good causes.

A ceremony was held on Wednesday (October 26, 2016) where £1,200 was presented to local youngster Jake Cullen and his parents, Mark and Tash, towards fundraising for a new all-terrain wheelchair and a further £250 was presented to Sweet Surprise which is a café and shop in the centre of Ilminster which provides work-place training for people with learning difficulties.

An oak tree was planted at Daido’s site in Winterhay Lane to mark the anniversary and a ceremonial ribbon was cut by the Mayor of Ilminster, Cllr Val Keitch.

Managing director of Daido, Yoshihiro Sano, said: “In Japan cherry trees are an important part of our culture.

“But as part of our 15-year celebration we are very happy to plant an English oak tree which has equally strong links to local culture.”

PHOTO – TOP: Andy Dyke (left) presents a £1,200 cheque to Jake Cullen and his parents Mark and Tash.

PHOTO – RIGHT: Employees join company bosses and guests for the 15-year anniversary of Daido Industrial Bearings in Ilminster.

Factory manager Mark Hopkins said: “The current factory began production back in 1971 when it was part of the Glacier group and became a Daido Metal factory in 2001.

“We currently mainly manufacture bearings for medium speed diesel engines which are used in boats, locomotives and power generation plant.  Our customers are located around the world and rely on us to keep their engines running.

“2016 marks 15 years since the establishment of Daido Industrial Bearings Europe (DIBE) here at Winterhay Lane.

“Our recent factory survey showed that employees would like Daido Metal to be more involved with our local community.  We were therefore very pleased to have some important guests with us to share our celebration.

“A number of options were considered in order to mark the event, and the most popular suggestion from employees was the planting of a tree.  Tree planting is also symbolic for our Japanese colleagues who have planted some of their favourite Cherry trees to mark previous events.

“We specifically chose an English oak. For centuries, this has been a national symbol of strength and resilience and it is therefore a very fitting tribute to Daido’s hard work in preparing for future growth in the business.

The Oak is also an internationally recognized symbol for environmental care which is a fundamental part of the Daido Metal business policy.”

The donations – which had come from Daido employees and matched by Mr Sano – were presented by Andy Dyke.

People from Sweet Surprise were on hand to provide refreshments at the ceremony and would like to thank Daido for the donation.

Jake Cullen and his parents would also like to thank Daido for their support, while the Mayor congratulated the firm on its 15th anniversary.

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