Kao Corporation

Kao Corporation
花王株式会社

Type	Public Kabushiki gaisha
Traded as	TYO: 4452
Industry	Personal care, Fabric and home care, Feminine hygiene, Chemicals, Professional-use cleaning products
Founded	Nihonbashi-Bakurocho, Tokyo, Japan (June 1887 (1887-06))
Founder(s)	Tomiro Nagase
Headquarters	14-10, Nihonbashi-Kayabacho Itchome, Chūō, Tokyo, Japan
Key people	Motoki Ozaki (President and CEO)
Revenue	¥1,186,831 million (US$14,273.4 million) (consolidated, March 2011, 83 yen/US dollar)
Operating income	¥104,591 million (US$1,257.9 million) (consolidated, March 2011, 83 yen/US dollar)
Net income	¥46,737 million (US$562.1 million) (consolidated, March 2011, 83 yen/US dollar)
Total assets	¥1,022,799 million (US$12,300.6 million) (consolidated, March 2011, 83 yen/US dollar)
Total equity	¥539,564 million (US$6,489.0 million) (consolidated, March 2011, 83 yen/US dollar)
Employees	34,743 (consolidated) 5,924 (non-consolidated)
Website	kao.com/jp/

Head office

Kao Corporation (花王株式会社, Kaō Kabushiki-gaisha^?) is a chemical and cosmetics company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

Kao began as a domestic toiletry soap manufacturing company in 1887 by Tomiro Nagase. Until 1940, they were known as Nihon Yuki Company (日本有機株式会社^?), changing their name then to Kao Soap Company (花王石鹸株式会社^?), and finally in 1985 to Kao Corporation.

During the 1960s and the 1970s, the company expanded to Taiwan and ASEAN, and also to oleochemicals in order to complement their main business. During this time, the company launched household products, laundry products, and industrial products to expand its revenue base (such as New Beads detergent, Humming fabric softener, Haiter bleach and Magiclean household cleaners).

During the 1980s, its hit products Merries diapers, Attack detergent, Biore daily skincare and Biore U daily body care, Curel (1986) and Sofina cosmetics were launched. During this time, Kao engaged in several joint ventures (haircare in Europe, Nivea in Japan with Beiersdorf), and acquisitions (Andrew Jergens Company in 1988, Goldwell AG in 1989) in North America and Europe. During this period, Kao also expanded to the manufacture of floppy disks.

During the 1990s and 2000s, the company expanded into China and Vietnam—countries that, during that time, were opening up their economies to the rest of the world. Also, the company expanded into food products with Econa and Healthya. It also continued to acquire businesses (John Frieda^[1] in 2002, Molton Brown^[2] in 2005, and Kanebo Cosmetics ^[3] in 2006).

In September 2009 Kao recalled its Econa cooking oil products after it was revealed in the media that one of its ingredients becomes carcinogenic after digestion. According to the media reports, Econa contained from 10 to 182 times the amount of glycidol fatty acid esters found in regular cooking oils. Kao also removed the tokuho, or government "healthy food" designation from the product's label. ^[4]

References

1. ^ "Kao Agrees to Acquire John Frieda Professional Hair Care". Business Wires. 2002-08-01. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2002_August_1/ai_89956915/. Retrieved 2009-11-18. 
2. ^ "Charles Denton ex-CEO Molton Brown". BBC. 2005-07-10. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4669173.stm. Retrieved 2009-01-06. 
3. ^ "Kao purchases Kanebo Cosmetics". Cosmetics Design - Europe. http://www.cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/Financial/Kao-purchases-Kanebo-Cosmetics. Retrieved 2009-11-18. 
4. ^ Brasor, Philip, "Media Mix: Japanese food-safety label protects business foremost, and not people", Japan Times, November 1, 2009, p. 11.

External links

• Kao Worldwide website in English
• Kao Japan website
• Kao corporate website in English
• Kao Brands Company, Kao's US subsidiary