On the 27th of this month, Higo Bank announced that it was the lead bank in a joint financing with Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation awarding a ¥5 billion one-year unsecured and unwarranted credit margin (financing scheme) with HIRATA Corporation until March 2007. HIRATA Corporation, whose sales for the period ending in March 2006 increase by 15% or ¥36,000,000,000 mainly due to increased orders in its automotive and FDP business components, aims to stabilize its financial procurement to cope with the increase in demand by strengthening its production capabilities.