08.04.08
Japan
www.lion.co.jp
Sales: $2.65 billion
Sales:
$2.65 billion for household and personal care products. Corporate sales: $2.9 billion.Key Personnel:
Sadayoshi Fujishige, president and chief executive officer; Kazuo Obayashi, senior executive director, risk management, international division, purchasing, headquarters, corporate planning, public relations, investor relations and oleochemicals; Tetsuo Yamada, senior executive director, corporate ethics, finance, secretary, personnel, general affairs, system, CSR promotion, legal, logistics planning and development and pharma; Haruo Iwasakim executive director, advertising, behavioral science research, distribution, policy and business coordination; Teruhisa Satuski, executive director, R&D headquarters, chemicals division, production headquarters, intellectual property; Mitsuharu Kachi, executive general manager of international division and director of oleochemical project; Keikichi Sugiyama, executive general manager, R&D headquarters; Suichi Ohta, executive general manager, health care products division; and Itsuo Hama, executive general manager, household products division.Major Products:
Oral care (toothpastes, toothbrushes mouthwashes, breath fresheners, dental needs); beauty care (shampoos, conditioners, treatments, hair styling products, men’s hair care, soap, body washes, skin care, antiperspirants and deodorants); fabric care (laundry detergents and additives, bleaches, fabric softeners); home care (dishwashing detergents, disinfectants, household cleaners, kitchen-related products) and insecticides.New Products:
Household—Soflan with Fragrance and Deodorant fabric softener, Top Kaori Tsuzuku chamomile-scented liquid laundry detergent with fabric softener, Look O2 Cleaner (joint product with Henkel), Charmy gel-based dishwasher cleaner/detergent. Oral care—Dentor Systema EX Extra Herb, Medish oral care gum. Personal care—Ban Deodorant Mist, Ban Refresh Powder Sheets, Bathology skin care, Pro Tec Head men’s hair care.Comments:
Lion markets a number of top-selling oral care, beauty and household products, making it a market leader and well-respected brand in Japan. And the company continues to grow its presence in surrounding Asian countries.Lion’s oral care unit recorded sales of $459 million in 2007, a 3.6% gain with new products helping to offset declining sales of mouthwashes. In this sector, many of Lion’s new products have been aimed at the needs of a changing Japanese society that is getting older and is more concerned with health issues.
Lion’s beauty sector sales rose 4.5% to $297 million in 2007. To enhance profitability, the firm has been strengthening its operational foundation by focusing on its strengths—liquid hand soaps and antiperspirants and deodorants—and by using advanced technologies to introduce new products. In 2007, Lion took steps to reduce manufacturing costs. Production bases for beauty care products were consolidated and production was shifted to subsidiaries and outside companies.
In fabric care, increased sales of higher-value-added, premium-priced products stopped the decline in unit prices, and sales rose 15.2% to $1 billion.
Lion’s living care business recorded a 7.1% gain to $421.6 million. The company said sales of dishwashing detergents increased in double digits, bolstered by a strong performance from the Charmy Awa no Chikara (Power of Suds) dishwashing detergent series. In household cleaners, Lion extended the Look Kirei no Mist series of antibacterial and sanitary sprays, with the launch of new variant for entranceways and shoes. Also new is Look O2 Cleaner, a multipurpose cleaner jointly developed with Henkel.
Lion’s international division recorded growth of more than 10% to $466 million in 2007, with Thailand and South Korea the largest contributors.