Tahei Morinaga
Profile
Performance in office
Tenure
Tenure
Background
Born in Tokyo in 1900, he graduated from Meiji University's School of Commerce in 1924 and joined Morinaga & Co. that year. He became a Director in 1940 and President in May 1946. He was the third President counting from founder Taichiro Morinaga. After becoming President he also held posts at affiliated companies, becoming President of Morinaga Milk Industry in 1955, Chairman of Morinaga Candy Store in 1959, Chairman of Morinaga Milk Industry in 1960 and President of Morinaga Kaihatsu in December 1970. From 1964 he also chaired the Japan Advertisers Association, the Japan Confectionery Association and the Japan Biscuit Association.
Selection
When he became President in May 1946, about 60% of the Tsurumi plant had burned in an air raid the previous April. The company still bore the name Morinaga Shokuryo Kogyo, adopted in 1943, and its fresh start began with the dairy division. He was promoted 22 years after joining in 1924 and six years after joining the board in 1940, becoming President at 45. The appointment appears to have entrusted postwar rebuilding to a member of the founding family.
Initiatives
Within six months of 1949, the company established Morinaga Milk Industry in April, listed on the Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya stock exchanges in May, and in October transferred the dairy division and restored the name Morinaga & Co. In August it spun off its sales division as Morinaga Shoji. Sales, now focused on confectionery, grew from ¥2.4 billion in the fiscal year ended September 1949 to over ¥7.1 billion in FY ended March 1955, and the company led the industry in four products including caramels, chocolate and biscuits. In August 1965 it established a joint venture with General Mills of the US. Non-consolidated net sales grew to ¥121.3 billion in FY ended March 1978, but in FY ended March 1979 the company posted an ordinary loss of ¥0.9 billion.
Career
Career
Morinaga &
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| 1924 | Joined |
| 1940 | Director |
| Jun 1946 | President |
| Jun 1979 | Chairman |
| Jun 1979 | Stepped down as President |
References 2
References (Japanese primary sources)
- 日本企業要覧 1979年版
- 会社銀行八十年史（東洋経済新報社、1955年）「森永製菓」の項