Future Industries

"URN"

- ... all I had to my name was an idea: the Satomobile. Now, I was fortunate enough to meet someone who believed in me and my work ethic. He gave me the money I needed to get my idea off the ground and I built the entire Future Industries empire from that one selfless loan.

Future Industries is a large business company founded by Hiroshi Sato and currently owned by his daughter, Asami Sato. Using state-of-the-art technology such as the assembly line, the factory produces over one hundred luxury Satomobiles on a daily basis. Despite high demand, Future Industries' only known competitor is Cabbage Corp, which produces the cheaper, more compact Cabbage Car.

Hiroshi Sato realized that not everyone in Republic City would be able to afford their own Satomobile and for those less wealthy, he developed the taxi cab as a way to get around. Aside from being a practical and cheap means of transportation, cabs are also suitable for romantic rides through Republic City Park.

As well as producing cars for the common man, Hiroshi Sato also designed a race car. As the ultimate transportation method for thrill seekers, the sleek design and high-powered engine enables the car to reach top speeds while smoothly maneuvering its way around a racetrack.

Future Industries' good name however, is now tainted due to Hiroshi's previous ties with the Equalists and war crimes, connections which are causing investors to shy and stay away from the company.

History


In 138 ASC, a wealthy businessman invested in Hiroshi Sato's idea of automobiles for the common man. With that money, the eighteen-year-old Hiroshi was able to build a factory, thus marking the start of his company, Future Industries. His idea proved to be a gold-mine, and he soon churned out many Satomobiles, expanding his factory to a true business empire.

During 170 ASC, after Hiroshi's daughter, Asami Sato, met Mako and took him out on a date, she brought him to the factory to meet her father. Here, the industrialist briefly explained his past life to Mako. When Asami cut him short, stating that he should stop bragging and tell Mako the good news, Hiroshi announced his decision to sponsor his pro-bending team, the Fire Ferrets, so they could compete in the tournament. The only condition was that the team would have to wear the company's emblem on their uniforms, something Mako did not object to whatsoever.

Following the Equalists' attack on the Pro-bending Arena, the Fire Ferrets were staying the Sato estate when a raid on Cabbage Corp's headquarters took place, turning up electrified gloves and Equalist propaganda. However, when Korra overheard a suspicious phone conversation between Hiroshi and an unknown individual, she left the estate and contacted Lin Beifong and Tenzin. The Metalbending Police Force investigated the company's factory, but this investigation came up empty. However, after they received a tip from a former Equalist, the investigators made their way back to the estate and found an underground factory run by Hiroshi. They discovered that Future Industries was manufacturing the electrified gloves along with a new weapon, mecha tanks, for the Equalists.

In the weeks that followed, the Equalists built up their power base and launched an all-out attack on Republic City, overthrowing the United Republic Council and installing Amon as its new leader. During an attempted intervention by the United Forces led by General Iroh, it was revealed that Future Industries also produced heavily-armed biplanes, which they deployed in large numbers to decimate the United Forces fleet entering Yue Bay. These biplanes were stationed at a secret airfield located beyond the outskirts of the city operated by Future Industries, leaving much of the city unaware of their existence. Hiroshi Sato personally led the attack on Iroh's fleet, and soon made plans to attack Commander Bumi's fleet which was called in to relieve Iroh's forces.

Despite the initial success of the battle, General Iroh, along with Bolin and Asami, located the airfield and proceeded to destroy its biplane fleet. Iroh was eventually successful in thwarting the attack on Bumi's fleet and Bolin destroyed the airfield's runways, rendering it inoperable. The airfield also hosted numerous mecha tanks, most of which were destroyed through the trio's combined attacks.

Hiroshi Sato himself was subdued and captured by his daughter as he attempted to flee the airfield, eventually being evicted from Future Industries. Thus, his daughter was named as his replacement.

Under Asami's leadership, Future Industries newest line was a more domestic model of the biplane. However, due to Hiroshi's previous actions and involvements, no investor wanted to be associated with the company anymore, forcing Asami to go to the South Pole, seeking help to put the company back on track.

Description
Future Industries' facilities are located at an industrial sector in southern Republic City near the foot of an inland mountain range. Most warehouses in this area are expansive and spacious, capable of holding a considerable number of materials in storage for prolonged periods of time. They are made from wooden planks and have a large, rectangular door at their facade. Above the doors are a row of tiny windows, and to the sides are staircases and smaller doors which also provide access to the warehouses. The majority of these buildings have a gray, slanted roof.

The roadways on Future Industries' grounds are often red or brown in coloration, and are frequently traversed by trucks for transporting supplies and materials to and from the area. All automobiles are made at the manufacturing center, which is vastly different in layout and structure than the company's other facilities. The building is prism-shaped, made of metal, and has four spire-like towers at its corners. Its interior is capacious and extravagant, symbolic of Future Industries' success and prosperity. A tremendous arched entrance allows access to the manufacturing stations.

Production


Satomobiles are manufactured on an assembly line, where the automobiles are placed on a conveyor belt and shifted through various work stations so that more parts may be added for completing the vehicle. The cars are put in close vicinity to each other, which allows the process to continue easily. This revolutionary system is swift and efficient, allowing for rapid Satomobile production and therefore more wealth for the company. There are three rows of conveyor belts in the manufacturing building, and between two of them is a long table where tools, car parts, and other materials are placed during manufacturing. They are stored in boxes and baskets, and some are brought to the assembly line when needed for production.

Known products
Future Industries is known for manufacturing various vehicles, both for civilian and military usage:


 * Biplanes
 * Police airships
 * Satomobiles

Trivia

 * The company is also responsible for the development of the police cars and the airships used by the Metalbending Police Force.
 * Guided tours of the factory lair are available.
 * The distinctive four-chimney external design of the Future Industries factory seems to have been inspired by London's historic Battersea Power Station.
 * Future Industries resembles the Ford Motor Company in both industry sector and time period. Henry Ford pioneered the assembly line mass production technique, allowing the construction of hundreds of cars every hour at incredibly low cost. Ford's founding also took place toward the end of the second Industrial Revolution, paralleled by Future Industries' radically advanced technology. The two companies are also similar because both companies are involved in aircraft development. Future Industries was the first builder of aircraft in the Avatar universe and Ford helped build aircraft parts and engines during the airplane's inception.