Sunstar is a Japanese global oral care, health and beauty, chemicals, and motorcycle partsconglomerate with affiliates in 27 countries. Its main businesses are the development, manufacturing and sale of oral care products as well as of chemicals and motorcycle parts. In recent years it has been expanding into the area of Cosmetics and Health Food. Sunstar's founder,, established the Kaneda Keitai Shokai Company in Osaka, Japan in 1932 as a seller of rubber glue for bicycles. The introduction of metal tubes for packaging of the rubber glue - and later also toothpastes formed the basis for the early success of the business. The company since has developed into the leading oral care business in Japan with a significant international presence. The engineering business also has a leading position for several of its products in Japan and other markets. Group sales exceeded one billionUnited States dollarsfor the first time in the 1990s and are now at the level of 1.4 billion US dollars per year. After having been listed on the Osaka Securities Exchange since 1961, Sunstar undertook a management and employee buyout of all shares in 2007. The ownership of Sunstar Japan and the other group companies of the Consumer Goods Business was transferred to Switzerland and the Engineering business to Singapore, in an effort to accelerate globalization.
History
Kunio Kaneda founded Kaneda Keitei Shokai in 1932 and began the manufacture and sale of rubber glue for bicycles. Applying the manufacturing technology used in pouring rubber glue into metal-tube containers, the company expanded by packaging toothpaste into metal tube containers in 1946, when mainstream dentifrices were still in powder form. This was the company's first toothpaste, which later formed its core business. This business grew and led to Sunstar's Oral Care and Health & Beauty businesses, which today emphasize the promotion of oral and whole body health. The company's name, "Sunstar", was derived from the idea of tooth brushing in the morning at sunrise and again at night under starlight. Meanwhile, the businesses of rubber glue and parts for bicycles developed into a synthetic, chemical adhesive and sealant business for automobile production and construction applications, as well as for motorcycle disc parts such as sprockets and brakes, namely its vehicle equipment division. Sunstar continues to promote its further development of businesses in these four fields, after experiencing the following historical milestones:
1933 – founder Kunio Kaneda established the Kaneda Brother's Company in Osaka
1946 – Started production of metal tubes and founded Kaneda Light Metal Tube Industries
1946 – Started developing and manufacturing its first toothpaste
