Suntory Explained

Suntory Holdings Limited
Native Name:サントリーホールディングス株式会社
Romanized Name:Santorī Hōrudingusu Kabushiki-gaisha
Native Name Lang:ja
Type:Private
Founder:Torii Shinjiro
Location City:Osaka
Location Country:Japan
Key People:Saburo Kogo
(Chairman)
Kazuhiro Saito
(President and CEO)
Industry:Beverage
Subsid:Suntory Beverage & Food Ltd.
Suntory Global Spirits

(commonly referred to as simply Suntory) is a Japanese multinational brewing and distilling company group. Established in 1899, it is one of the oldest companies in the distribution of alcoholic beverages in Japan, and makes Japanese whisky.

Its business has expanded to other fields, and the company now also makes soft drinks and operates sandwich chains. With its 2014 acquisition of Beam, Inc., it has diversified internationally and become the third largest maker of distilled beverages in the world. Suntory is headquartered in Dojimahama 2-chome, Kita-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture.

History

Suntory was started by, who first opened his store in Osaka on February 1, 1899, to sell imported wines. In 1907, the store began selling a fortified wine called Akadama Port Wine (Akadama literally meaning "red ball," a euphemism for the sun). The store became the Kotobukiya company in 1921 to further expand its business and in 1923, Torii built Japan's first malt whisky distillery Yamazaki Distillery.

Due to shortages during World War II, Kotobukiya was forced to halt its development of new products, but in 1946 it re-released Torys Whisky, which sold well in post-war Japan. In 1961, Kotobukiya launched the "Drink Torys and Go to Hawaii" campaign. At the time, a trip abroad was considered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. In 1963, Kotobukiya changed its name to "Suntory", taken from the name of the whisky it produces, which itself was derived from the English "Sun" (referencing "akadama") + Tory, the anglicized version of Torii's name. In the same year, Musashino Beer Factory began its production of the Suntory Beer.

On April 1, 2009, Suntory became a stockholding company named and established,,,,,, and .[1]

On July 14, 2009, Kirin announced that it was negotiating with Suntory on a merger.[2] On February 8, 2010, it was announced that negotiations between the two were terminated.[3]

In 2009, Suntory acquired Orangina, the orange soft drink for 300 billion yen, and Frucor energy drinks for 600 million euros.[4] On July 2, 2013, the company debuted on the Tokyo stock exchange and raised almost US$4 billion in the process.[5]

In September 2013, Suntory purchased the drinks division of GlaxoSmithKline. This included the brands Lucozade and Ribena, however, the deal did not include Horlicks.[6]

In January 2014, Suntory announced an agreement to buy the largest U.S. bourbon producer, Beam Inc. (producers of Jim Beam) for US$16 billion.[7] This deal would make Suntory the world's third largest spirits maker.[8] The acquisition was completed in April 2014, when it was announced that the new subsidiary would be renamed Beam Suntory.[9] [10]

In December 2015, Beam Suntory acquired the gin maker Sipsmith.[11]

In November 2017, Suntory and PepsiCo form a joint venture in Thailand.[12]

In 2018, Suntory sold most of Cerebos Pacific assets, including Australian and New Zealand food business to Kraft Heinz for A$290 million.[13] [14] This transaction excludes Cerebos Pacific's health supplements and fresh coffee business which later integrated into Suntory Beverage & Food Asia Pte. Ltd. and Suntory Coffee Australia respectively.

In March 2023, Makiko Ono became the first woman to be appointed CEO of Suntory Beverage & Food Ltd.[15]

In May 2024, Beam Suntory was re-branded as Suntory Global Spirits including the launch of a new website and visual identity. [16]

Subsidiaries

Joint ventures

From the early 1990s, Suntory has collaborated extensively with Melbourne biotechnology firm Florigene to genetically engineer the world's first true blue rose, a symbol often associated with the impossible or unattainable. In 1991, the team won the intense global race to isolate the gene responsible for blue flowers, and has since developed a range of genetically modified flowers expressing colors in the blue spectrum, as well as a number of other breakthroughs extending the vase life of cut flowers.

In 2003, Suntory acquired a 98.5% equity holding in Florigene. Prior to this, Florigene had been a subsidiary of global agrochemicals giant Nufarm since 1999. In July 2004, Suntory and Florigene scientists announced to the world the development of the first roses containing blue pigment, an important step toward the creation of a truly blue colored rose.

In July 2011, Suntory Beverage and Food Limited together with PT GarudaFood from Tudung Group in Indonesia have agreed to make a new firm to produce non-alcoholic drink with 51 percent and 49 percent shares respectively. It will produce Suntory Oolong Tea, Boss and Orangina.[18]

In April 2019, Suntory partnered with Drinkripples, an Israeli-based company. As part of the collaboration Suntory will use Drinkripples' Ripple Maker machines to print branded and viral content on top of Suntory beer in Suntory certified locations and factories throughout Japan.[19]

Brands

Suntory beverage brands include:[20]

Soft drinks: Bikkle, Boss Coffee, C.C. Lemon, Calcium and Iron Beverage, Gini, Green DAKARA, Iyemon, Lucozade, MayTea, Mizone, Nature’s Twist, Oasis, Okky, Iced Oolong Tea, Orangina, Ribena, Schweppes, TEA+, Tennensui, V, Pepsi SpecialBeer: All-Free, Kin-Mugi, The Premium Malt's

Gin: Larios, Sipsmith, Roku

Liqueur: DeKuyper, Midori, Sourz

Rum: Cruzan

Tequila: El Tesoro de Don Felipe, Hornitos, Sauza, Tres Generaciones, 100 Años

Vodka: Effen, Haku, Pinnacle, Vox

Bourbon whiskey: Baker's, Basil Hayden's, Beam's Eight Star, Booker's, Jim Beam, Kessler, Knob Creek, Legent, Maker's Mark, Old Crow, Old Grand-Dad

Canadian whisky: Alberta Premium, Canadian Club

Irish whiskey: Connemara, Kilbeggan, The Tyrconnell

Japanese whisky: Chita, Hakushu, Hibiki, Kakubin, Toki, Yamazaki

Scotch whisky:

Single malt Scotch: Ardmore, Auchentoshan, Bowmore, Glen Garioch, Laphroaig

Blended Scotch whisky: Teacher's Highland Cream

Spanish whisky: DYC whisky

Wine: Akadama, Delica Maison, Château Lagrange Les Fiefs de Lagrange

Media and advertising

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Suntory News Release on January 19, 2009 (Global website), (Japan website) - Suntory Limited
  2. http://mainichi.jp/select/today/news/20090713k0000e020033000c.html?link_id=RTH05 キリン:サントリーと経営統合へ交渉 - 毎日jp(毎日新聞)
  3. http://www.suntory.com/news/2010/10675.html Termination of Merger Negotiation with Kirin
  4. Web site: Danone. Suntory buys Frucor from Groupe Danone October 2008. https://archive.today/20130221112239/http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=95168&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1216654. dead. February 21, 2013. October 23, 2008. January 16, 2009.
  5. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-07-02/suntory-ipo-seen-as-expensive-tests-thirst-for-4-billion-deal.html Suntory IPO
  6. Angela Monaghan "Ribena and Lucozade sold to Japanese drinks giant", The Guardian, September 9, 2013
  7. Suntory News Release on January 13, 2014 (Global website)
  8. News: Japan's Suntory to buy U.S. spirits maker Beam for $13.6 billion cash. MARTINNE GELLER AND OLIVIA ORAN . Reuters . January 14, 2014.
  9. http://www.suntory.com/news/2014/12050.html Beam Suntory
  10. https://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304547704579563590503205778 Suntory Still has M&A Thirst
  11. News: Daneshkhu . Scheherazade . December 16, 2016 . Beam Suntory swallows London gin maker Sipsmith . Financial Times . October 22, 2023.
  12. Web site: beveragedaily.com . November 2, 2017 . Suntory and PepsiCo form soft drink joint venture in Thailand . October 22, 2023 . beveragedaily.com . en-GB.
  13. Web site: Kraft Heinz to acquire food and instant coffee business in Australia. January 7, 2022. www.foodbusinessnews.net. en.
  14. Web site: Hartley. Simon. March 10, 2018. Kraft Heinz to buy Cerebos, Asian. January 7, 2022. Otago Daily Times Online News. en.
  15. Web site: Ward . Ben . March 29, 2023 . Suntory's New CEO Wants to Spend Over $5 Billion in M&A . October 22, 2023 . Nasdaq.
  16. Web site: Hurt . Jeanette . Beam Suntory Rebrands As Suntory Global Spirits . 2024-05-01 . Forbes . en.
  17. News: Japan's Suntory snaps up Orangina . November 13, 2009 . BBC . BBC News . November 15, 2009 .
  18. Web site: GarudaFood, Suntory form joint venture . The Jakarta Post . July 16, 2011 . October 14, 2012.
  19. Web site: Ripples Suntory Partnership. April 12, 2019.
  20. Web site: Suntory Brands . October 22, 2023 . Suntory.
  21. Web site: Lost in Translation Filming Locations: A.P.C. Underground in Harajuku . October 7, 2021 .
  22. Web site: The True Story Behind Bill Murray's Whiskey Ad in 'Lost in Translation' . . August 10, 2023 .
  23. Web site: Sofia Coppola on Tokyo, Suntory Whisky, and 20 Years of "Lost in Translation" . May 24, 2023 .