Calbee

Founding and early years

The company was founded in devastated post-war Hiroshima by Takashi Matsuo in 1949, initially under the name Matsuo Food Processing Co., Ltd. His first product was the Calbee Caramel, named after the words "calcium" and vitamin B1, nutrients that many people were lacking at the time. Due to the product's popularity, the company name was changed to Calbee Confectionery Co., Ltd. in 1955, and later to Calbee, Inc. when the headquarters were relocated to Tokyo.

In 1964, Calbee launched Kappa Ebisen, a shrimp-flavoured cracker that became the company's first major national hit. The product's advertising slogan, "Yamerarenai, tomaranai" (やめられない、止まらない, "Can't stop, won't stop"), became one of the most recognised advertising phrases in Japanese commercial history. Kappa Ebisen eventually achieved annual sales of ¥10 billion.

Expansion

In 1973, Calbee Moh Seng (previously the Moh Seng Importer & Exporter Private Limited) was integrated into Calbee. It started off as the sole distributor of Calbee goods in Singapore.

In the 1970s, Calbee partnered with Four Seas Group to introduce the company's products in Hong Kong. In 1994, the two companies formed the Calbee Four Seas joint venture company, and opened a new production plant in Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate in 2000.

In 1980, Calbee established Calbee Tanawat in Thailand. Calbee International launched in Hong Kong in 1992.

In 2009, Calbee entered into a business and equity alliance with PepsiCo, Inc., a leading U.S. food company, and Japan Frito-Lay Ltd. became a subsidiary.

Stock listing and international growth

On 11 March 2011, Calbee was listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The same year, Haitai-Calbee Co., Ltd. was established in South Korea. In 2012, RDO-Calbee Foods, LLC changed its name to Calbee North America, LLC. PT. Calbee-Wings Food was established in Indonesia in 2013, and Calbee (UK) Ltd was established in the United Kingdom in 2014.

It launched operations at a new plant in the United States for making its mainstay products Kappa Ebisen shrimp chips and "Saya-endo" snow pea crisps on 18 September 2007.

Calbee's product development philosophy centres on what the company calls the "utilization of untapped food resources" — creating popular snacks from ingredients and by-products that were not previously used as snack foods.

Snacks

Kappa Ebisen – Launched in 1964, this shrimp-flavoured cracker made from wheat flour and ground shrimp is Calbee's oldest and most iconic product. It was first exported to Hawaii and Southeast Asia in 1966 and is now sold internationally in multiple flavours.

Potato Chips – Calbee entered the potato chip market in 1975. Its potato chips now command approximately 70% of the domestic Japanese market.

Jagariko – Introduced in 1995, Jagariko consists of rod-shaped potato sticks sold in a distinctive cup container. The product is noted for its firm, crunchy texture, achieved by using off-specification potatoes unfit for regular potato chip production.