This week, the Bristol Myers Squibb sign on the façade of the two production sites, Guyenne and Gascogne, will be removed. On Tuesday, the American giant’s imprint will give way to that of the eagle, the figurehead of the Japanese industrialist Taisho. Initially scheduled for July 1, the sale will finally take place at midnight the following day. The American chapter that lasted twenty-five years will close, with Upsa having joined the BMS galaxy in 1994. Another will open with Taisho, a Japanese industrialist, a key player in Asia (read elsewhere), but totally unknown in Europe. Which, notwithstanding the anxiety and mistrust inherent in any change, would be a sign of optimism.
The European market is a growth lever for the Japanese, who have seen their market shares erode in the OTC (self-medication) sectors in Japan and Asia. This suggests a completely different approach than that of BMS, which, with regard to Upsa, did not have a clear strategic interest in developing the brand due to the group’s focus on the cancer treatment sector.
Taisho is, on the contrary, focused on the OTC sector, and the investment made (1.4 billion euros) given its turnover (2.2 billion euros) combined with the culture Japanese industrial company that some consider “long-termist” suggests that the new boss has not set foot in France for the beauty of the landscapes.
> Find all our articles on Upsa in Agen in our search engine
Down with Doliprane
What will change? Jun Kuroda, a member of the Taisho board, who visited the site at the beginning of the year, gave a clue about the future strategy by talking about commercial development. “BMS left Upsa in a shaky state,” confirmed Bruno Bourthol, FO delegate at Upsa. The brand has indeed lost even more ground nationally and in exports. There would be real room for maneuver and progress. The Japanese have an obligation to start reconquering the leadership of the paracetamol sector left to Sanofi and its Doliprane, while Upsa previously occupied it with its Efferalgan and Dafalgan. The challenge is there. They have taken it up in the past in Indonesia by taking over a commercial unit already sold by BMS in 2009.
BMS would have left Upsa “in a shaky state” with a decline on the national and export levels
On the social front, Taisho is said to have committed to not touching anything for thirty-six months. That said, things are changing at the management level: If François Duplaix, CEO of Upsa France, stays in place, the management committee should change. An announcement should be made to this effect at the beginning of the week. Not included, for sure, will be HR Director Patrick Couesnon, whose departure to the large global pharmaceutical group Abbvie has been confirmed. Will Thierry Lhuillier remain in charge of the industrial sites?
One of the many questions raised by this new page of history which is being written at the largest private employer in the department (1,573 employees in total).
How much does Taisho weigh?
On July 9, Akira Uehara, the boss of Taisho, and Jun Kuroda, a member of the board, are expected in Agen. The former heads a group employing 6,000 people and, with the acquisition of Upsa, ranks 9th among pharmaceutical groups worldwide. Founded in 1912 in Japan, Taisho produces and markets a wide range of non-prescription drugs. Among these, Pabron, the brand’s flagship product since 1927, an analgesic and fever-reducing drug based on Ibuprofen. There is also Lipovitan, an energy drink launched in 1962 which accounts for 40% of the turnover of sales in the self-medication segment. Another goldmine: Riup, a lotion for hair regrowth.
Taisho has four factories, three in Japan (Omyia, Okayama and Hanyu) and one in Shanghai, China. The purchase in 2009 of the commercial rights of BMS in Indonesia allowed it to enter the Indonesian, Thai, Malaysian and Philippine markets. In 2012, it bought the Thai company Osotspa and four Mexican companies the same year. In 2014, Taisho bought the exploitation of the Flannax brand in the Philippines from the Roche group. Finally, the Japanese company has the commercial rights for Vicks in Asia, which it bought from the American Procter & Gamble. With Upsa, Taisho acquired, among others, Efferalgan, Dafalgan, Fervex and Donormyl.
