FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Today, Governor Rick Scott announced that SATO Holdings, a global leader in auto-ID solutions headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, has established its subsidiary, SATO Global Solutions (SGS), in Fort Lauderdale. The company is creating 35 jobs for local families and making a capital investment of more than $4 million.

Governor Scott said, “While SATO Global Solutions could have chosen any other state to expand their presence in America, they ultimately decided that Florida was the best place to grow and succeed. In 2013, I led an economic development mission to Japan and met with local business leaders to discuss business development opportunities for their companies to invest, grow and create jobs in Florida. Japan has been a great partner in our work to continue Florida’s economic growth and we are excited to welcome another Japanese business to the Sunshine State.”

The launch of SGS is part of SATO’s growth plan to increase market presence in North America and accelerate its global delivery of integrated solutions that leverage Internet of Things (IOT) technologies. SATO’s choice to locate in Fort Lauderdale is a strong testament to Florida’s strategy of strengthening its competitive technology sector through the recruitment of companies in the targeted industry of technology. SGS has leased 14,000 square feet of space in the 110 Tower.

Michael Beedles, President of SGS and head of SATO’s North American operations, said, “We are very excited to expand in Fort Lauderdale, taking advantage of South Florida’s technology talent pool and contributing to competitiveness of businesses through our customized solutions. We look forward to serving businesses locally and globally, and contributing to the livelihood of the overall economy.”

SATO Global Solutions develops custom products and services to meet their clients’ unique requirements for data capture within businesses or across entire supply chains. SGS provides technology to tag, track, and link objects to IT systems by barcode, radio frequency identification (RFID), or wide variety of technology solutions.

Consul General Shinji Nagashima said, “I enthusiastically welcome the news that SATO Holdings will set up its subsidiary, SATO Global Solutions, in Fort Lauderdale.  This is another example of Japan’s positive role in contributing to Florida’s economy as one of the top foreign investors with more than $4.1 billion in assets in nearly 200 companies, and employing more than 20,000 Floridians. I also welcome Florida companies to invest in Japan so as to intensify the successful bilateral relationship between Japan and Florida.” 

Florida has remained at the forefront of information technology innovation since the birth of the IBM PC in Boca Raton. The state’s IT strengths include diverse and growing sectors and some 26,000+ IT companies, which employ 245,700 professionals. Florida is the #3 state in High-Tech Establishments.

“Today’s great announcement from SATO illustrates that Florida has the resources to compete not only in the U.S. but internationally,” said Enterprise Florida president & CEO Bill Johnson. “Florida’s global access and diverse workforce allows the EFI team to share Florida’s business story with companies in countries around the world. We are thankful for SATO’s commitment to Florida and look forward to watching them expand their global footprint.”

The project was made possible by the close partnerships between Enterprise Florida, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, the City of Fort Lauderdale, and the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance.

Department of Economic Opportunity Executive Director Jesse Panuccio said, “The establishment of SATO Global Solutions in Fort Lauderdale will create 35 high-tech jobs, furthering Florida’s status as a hub for IT employment.  This is another example of how pro-growth policies and a business-friendly climate are benefitting Broward County and Florida.” 

Mayor Jack Seiler said, “SATO Global Solutions’ decision to establish operations in Fort Lauderdale expands our global business reach and strengthens our reputation as one of the nation’s top cities for technology talent. The company’s presence here is a testament to our progressive economic development partnerships, as well as our commitment to creating a City that offers a competitive business environment along with an outstanding quality of life.  We welcome SATO Global Solutions to Fort Lauderdale and look forward to seeing them prosper.”

Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance President and CEO Bob Swindell added, “We are thrilled to welcome SATO Global Solutions. SGS is an important addition to our growing and vibrant cluster of technology companies and exemplifies the types of technology companies and headquarters operations we work to recruit to Broward County.”

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SATO Global Solutions (SGS), headquartered in Florida, is a wholly owned subsidiary of SATO Holdings (TSE: 6287), a global leader in the Auto-ID solutions.  With software development and system integration as a core competence, SGS leads the Group’s effort to accelerate its global delivery of integrated Auto-ID solutions leveraging state-of-the-art technologies.  Backed by SATO’s vast knowledge of the industry and customer centric philosophy, SGS will offer optimal solutions for clients integrating everything from hardware and consumables to cyber security and materials handling. For more information, visit www.satoglobalsolutions.com

Enterprise Florida, Inc. (EFI) is a partnership between Florida’s businesses and government leaders and is the principal economic development organization for the state of Florida.  EFI facilitates job growth for Florida businesses through recruitment and retention, international trade and exporting, promotion of sporting events, and capital funding programs to assist small and minority businesses.

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