Corporate History-Lion History-11

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Early Development: Established as T. Kobayashi & Co.

1891 Tomijiro Kobayashi established T. Kobayashi & Co. in Kanda, Tokyo, to trade in the raw materials for soap and matches. 1893 Began manufacture and sales of first product, Kohyo Soap. 1895 Began focusing on the toothpaste market and began R&D for products. Launched Lion Toothpowder the following year. 1907 Established Kobayashi Laboratory to test raw materials and conduct research into new products. 1910 Tomijiro Kobayashi passes away aged 59. Established Lion Soap Factory. 1918 Company reorganized and Kobayashi Co., Ltd. established. 1919 Soap business spun off as Lion Soap Co., Ltd.	(1891)	(1893)

	(1907) Kobayashi Laboratory Established along with the Tokyo Analytical Laboratory, the Kobayashi Laboratory responds to general requests.

The Lion Dentifrice Co., Ltd.

Lion Fat and Oil Co., Ltd.

1918
Company reorganized and Kobayashi Co., Ltd. established.
1921
Established Lion Dental Clinic for Children—the first in Japan to specialize in children's dental care.
1932
Held the 1^st Mass Tooth Brushing Drill (for children).
1934
Completed new Tokyo Plant.

1934

(1934)
New Tokyo Plant.

1940
Held the 9^th Mass Tooth Brushing Drill (for children).
(Halted until 1953 because of the war.)
1949
Changed name to The Lion Dentifrice Co., Ltd.
1960
Established Lion Dentifrice (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.
1964
Complete Odawara Plant to mass produce toothpastes.

(1964)
Bullet Train passes the newly opened Odawara Plant.

Established the Lion Foundation for Dental Health.

1965
Established Bristol-Myers Lion Ltd.
1966
Established Lion Dentifrice (Thailand) Co., Ltd.
1967
Formed alliance with McCormick & Company, Inc.
1968
Established All Lion Society
(a cooperative wholesale society) in cooperation with Lion Fat and Oil Co., Ltd.
1969
Completed the Akashi Plant to mass produce toothbrushes.
1971
Completion of new facilities at head office.

1971

(1971)
New facilities at head office

Established the Biological Experiment Center at Odawara as a joint venture with Lion Fat and Oil Co., Ltd.
Established the Consumer Center, which later changed its name to the Consumer Service Office.
Celebration of 80 years since the founding of the company (T. Kobayashi & Co.)

1978
Established Lion Products Co., Ltd. with a view to merging with Lion Fat and Oil Co., Ltd.
1980
The Lion Dentifrice Co., Ltd. and Lion Fat and Oil Co., Ltd. merge to form Lion Corporation.

1919
The Soap Division of Kobayashi Co., Ltd. is spun off to become Lion Soap Co., Ltd.

1919

(1919)
Employees of Kobayashi Co., Ltd.'s soap division before spin off.

1919

(1919) Layout of the Mukojima Factory

1925
Began the laundry training course to improve living conditions in agricultural and fishing villages.
Successful production of the official glycerin using Lion Fat and Oil's proprietary technology.
1933
Established Laundry Information Service Center.
1936
Completed the Hirai Factory (forerunner to the Tokyo Plant), which contained a comprehensive soap manufacturing setup and included a solid-oil refinery, a glycerin plant, and an alcohol plant.

1936

(1936) Hirai Factory

Dismantled the Laundry Information Service Center and established the Lion Laundry Science Laboratories.

1936

(1936)
Advertisement to introduce the Lion Laundry Science Laboratories

1940
Lion Soap Co., Ltd. invests in Nippon Chemical Industries, a Mitsubishi Group company, and changes name to Lion Fat and Oil Co., Ltd.
1957
Established the Household Science Laboratories.
Completed the technology for Japan's first continuous sulfonation equipment.
1964
Completed Kawasaki Plant.
1966
Completed alpha-olefin sulfonation technology.
1967
The Lion Fat and Oil (Thailand) Co., Ltd. established.
1968
Established the All Lion Society in cooperation with The Lion Dentifrice Co., Ltd.
Completed Osaka Plant.

1968

(1968) Osaka Plant

1969
Absorbed Kyushu Lion Soap Co., Ltd.
1971
Completion of new facilities at head office.

1971

(1971)
New facilities at head office

Established the Biological Experiment Center at Odawara as a joint venture with Lion Dentifrice Co., Ltd.

1972
Established the Consumer Center, which later changed its name to the Consumer Service Office.
1977
Participated at international soap and detergents conference and announced development of low phosphorous technology.
1978
Established Lion Products Co., Ltd. with a view to merging with The Lion Dentifrice Co., Ltd.
1980
Lion Fat and Oil Co., Ltd. and the Lion Dentifrice Co., Ltd. merge to form Lion Corporation.

Lion Corporation

1985
Began operating the Ping-pong System to reflect customers' needs about products. This became the New Ping-pong System in 1996.
1994
To celebrate its 30^th anniversary, the Lion Foundation for Dental Health held the Dental Seminar.
1996
Won the 1996 award from the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry for the most positive consumer oriented business.
1999
Announced a comprehensive tie-up with Henkel KGaA to handle household products.
2000
Won the Asahi Shimbun Foundation "Response to Consumer Need Award" in the Grand Award for Corporate Social Contribution.
Established the Lion Dental Research Award, a science award from the International Association for Dental Research (IADR).
2002
Held the 59^th Mass Tooth Brushing Exercise for School Children.
2004
Acquired over-the-counter (OTC) drug Business from Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.
Took over operations of the Home & Personal Care Division of CJ Corporation in South Korea.
2006
Entered the functional food market by launching health drinks (Gussumin and Kyupurun).
2007
Acquired trademark rights to the BUFFERIN analgesics brand and other brands in Japan and other countries in Asia and Oceania form Bristol-Myers Squibb Company.
Established a subsidiary and started to build a plant in Malaysia for the purpose of manufacturing methyl ester sulfonate (MES), a plant-based surfactant.
Presented with the 16th Grand Prize for the Global Environment Award.
2008
Participated in the "Eco First Program" proclamation of goals for environmental protection activities by a Top-runner company in environmental friendliness, founded by the Ministry of the Environment.

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