[Company analysis] Calbee, Inc. (カルビー)

「Calbee, Inc. (カルビー)」is a major company in the Japanese sweets industry. This company has a large number of steady seller products such as "Kappa Ebisen(かっぱえびせん)", in addition, they are especially strong in the potato chips market. The number of consolidated employees is approximately 3,860.

 

1. Company Profile

2. Summary and Features

3. Major Business

4. Financial Information

 

 

 

1. Company Profile

 

※Unit is JPY million, as of 2019

Company name	Calbee, Inc.
Company name (Japanese)	カルビー
Date of establishment	Saturday, April 30, 1949
Headquarters location	〒100-0005 東京都千代田区丸の内一丁目8番3号
Capital	12,020
Consolidated sales	248,655
Consolidated operating profit	26,964
Consolidated total assets	202,750
Consolidated capital	160,490
Capital adequacy ratio	79.2%
Consolidated number of employees	3,860

 

 

 

2. Summary and Features

 
「Calbee」was founded in 1949 in Hiroshima Prefecture under the name「Matsuo Food Industry Co., Ltd.(松尾糧食工業株式会社)」. Since its founding, they have developed and produced sweets made from wheat flour. In 1955, the company name was changed to the current「Calbee」, and they initiated the snack confectionery business in earnest. By the way, the name「Calbee」was created by combining "Cal" from "Calcium" and "Bee" from "Vitamin", which were thought to be insufficient nutrition to Japanese people at that time.

 

Then, in 1964, "Kappa Ebisen", a steady seller product of「Calbee」was released. As a result of this,「Calbee」 became known nationwide. In 1972, they released "Sapporo potato", the first in Japan to be made by mixing flour and potato. And it made a great success, so continued to release "Potato Chips" made from 100% potato as a raw material. And with the successes of the above products, this company grew into a major confectionery industry in Japan.

Currently, the main products of「Calbee」are potato-based confectionery products, mainly potato chips, which account for approximately 35% of total sales. Regarding this potato-based confectionery product,「Calbee」carries out company-wide management from potato variety development, cultivation, storage, and procurement. According to this thorough quality control, they achieved top share in potato chips market in Japan.

 

「Calbee」has 13 production bases throughout Japan, from Hokkaido to Kagoshima. Recently, they established a joint-stock company in the Philippines,「Calbee -URC, Inc」, with the goal of entering their products in overseas markets. Recently, the North American market that「Calbee」entered in coopration with「Harvest Snaps」, has recorded a sharp increase in sales.

 

 

3. Major Business

 

■ Snack business
They manufacture sweets of potato series, flour series and corn series.

■ Bakery and cereals business
We also handle cream buns and cereals for distributors.

 

 

 

4. Financial information

 

※Unit is JPY million

0		2016	2017	2018
Consolidated sales		252,420	251,575	248,655
Consolidated operating profit		28,841	26,828	26,964
Consolidated total assets		182,011	192,137	202,750
Consolidated net assets		135,056	146,667	160,490
Breakdown of sales	Snack business in Japan	174,305	175,575	180,499
	Cereal business in Japan	30,436	23,836	23,817
	Other business in Japan	15,152	14,363	1,285
	Snack business in oversea	28,978	31,266	35,178
	Cereal business in oversea	0	2,534	5,283
	Others	3,548	3,998	2,590