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 December 9, 2002 |
Corporate name: Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
Chief Executive: Kazumasa KOBAYASHI, President & CEO
(Code No. 4967 The First Section of TSE/OSE) |
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Addition of Health-food Business |
As of January 15, 2003 Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.(HQ: Chuo-ku Osaka, President: Kazumasa KOBAYASHI, hereinafter referred to as Kobayashi Pharmaceutical)is to take over the health-food business of Hitachi Zosen Corporation(HQ: Suminoe-ku Osaka, President: Takenao SHIGEFUJI, hereinafter referred to as Hitachi Zosen)
and Hitachi Zosen Bio Corporation(wholly-owned subsidiary of Hitachi Zosen, HQ: Konohana-ku Osaka, President: Nagaaki MAEKAWA, hereinafter referred to as Hitachi Zosen Bio). In addition, a general sales agency agreement has been signed between Kobayashi Pharmaceutical and Hitachi Zosen regarding Tochu 120, a specified health use
food (granted/approved by the Ministry of Health and Welfare).
The present agreement grants Kobayashi Pharmaceutical the right to manufacture and distribute 21 major
health-food products related to Hitachi Zosen as well as Hitachi Zosen Bio's original "Tochucha" product.
Following this announcement Kobayashi Pharmaceutical has now obtained an opportunity to expand its business
to the beverage sector. The product in question accounted for ¥1.2 billion of sales last year.In addition,
due to an exclusive distribution of the Tochu 120, a specified health use food that might prove to be effective
for certain diseases, this agreement greatly contributes to Kobayashi Pharmaceutical's drive to expand to its
nutritional supplements focused health-food business as the public interest towards health-food is ever growing
nowadays.Tochu, the ingredient for Tochu tea, has long been known for its beneficial effects in China where its
bark is used as a herbal medicine, and now in Japan its leaves are widely consumed as tea. Kobayashi
Pharmaceutical aims to leverage its entire marketing and development expertise to distribute this product
and get it firmly established in the market.
Mail order and over-the-counter distribution of nutritional supplements are now being handled by Kobayashi
Pharmaceutical. It is a successful and steadily growing business providing a net profit of ¥4,544 million (179.7% on the year before) as of March 2002. By concluding the present agreement, Kobayashi Pharmaceutical's
intention to further expand its operations of nutritional supplements focused health-food business, and Hitachi
Zosen's will to integrate its operational resources into the core business, is a logical and mutually rewarding
choice. This product category offers new business opportunities in the health-food sector where Kobayashi
Pharmaceutical places its strategic emphasis, while achieving a significant synergy effect for further business
expansion.
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<Reference>As of March, 2002
| Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Summary |
| Date of establishment: |
1919 |
| Paid-in capital: |
¥3,450million |
| Sales: |
HQ: ¥89,415 million
Consolidated: ¥204,647 million |
| Operating profit: |
HQ: ¥11,234 million.
Consolidated: ¥ 12,103 million |
| Number of employees: |
HQ: 953
Consolidated: 2,276 |
| Business: |
household commodities manufacturing and marketing,
medical equipment importing and marketing |
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| Hitachi Zosen Corporation Summary |
| Established: |
1934 |
| Paid-in capital: |
¥50,611 million |
| Sales: |
HQ: ¥304,514 million
Consolidated: ¥439,108 million |
| Operating profit: |
HQ: ¥3,065 million
Consolidated: ¥8,055 million |
| Number of employees: |
HQ: 2,652
Consolidated: 10,403 |
| Business: |
environmental technology, energy, industrial/precision machinery, electronic/IT systems, etc. |
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| Hitachi Zosen Bio Corporation Summary |
| Established: |
1999 |
| Paid-in capital: |
¥250 million |
| Sales: |
¥1,191 million |
| Operating profit: |
¥30 million |
| Number of employees: |
26 |
| Business: |
manufacturing and marketing tea and refreshing drinks, food/biotechnological product development |
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