As part of its reorganization of European operations, NKK integrated NKK Europe's Düseldorf business unit with its London office on July 1. As a result, the Düseldorf office was closed. Eisuke Tomata, who had served as director of NKK Europe and general manager of the Düseldorf office since December 1996, has returned to Japan to head up Fukuyama Steel Technology, an NKK affiliate.