Sunstar Group Expands Manufacturing Network into Europe

01 December 2011

Interbros, a 180-year-old manufacturer of high quality toothbrushes and more recently, interdental cleaning picks, is an excellent fit with Sunstar’s goal of establishing a manufacturing base in Europe, the largest oral care products market in the world. In order to continue serving Sunstar’s rapidly growing business in Europe, Interbros will be a much-needed addition to the Company’s supply chain structure and will play an expanding role in the manufacture and distribution of products for customers throughout Europe, as well as to Africa, the Middle East, and other regions around the world.

Both companies have had a very successful customer-supplier relationship for the past seven years, and though Sunstar has become Interbros’ largest customer today, Interbros will continue to collaborate and support all their other clients in the name of oral health.

As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sunstar Suisse SA, Interbros will join five other sales companies in Europe. Masakazu Nakamura, CEO of Sunstar Suisse SA, commented about the acquisition: “We are very excited about Interbros joining the global Sunstar team and look forward to the contributions of their highly skilled employees, to continue the innovations that the company has become known for, and the synergies that our relationship will create over the long run.”

Dr. Gerhard Pötsch, Managing Director of Interbros, added: “With Sunstar, we now have a long-term oriented owner that we already have a successful relationship with. As a new member of the internationally successful Sunstar Group, we will be able to further leverage our unique position as a European manufacturer that supplies innovative products to both branded and private label companies. Together with our employees, I am happy to continue growing Interbros together with Sunstar. This is good news for our company.”

Sunstar Group Sunstar is a major player in the oral care market with distribution in over 90 countries around the world. Its products are sold under various brands, including G.U.M., Butler, Ora2 and GUIDOR, and the Company was a pioneer in adopting the “Mouth and Body” message to educate people on the connection between oral health and full body health. The Company was founded in 1932 as a manufacturer and seller of rubber glue for bicycle inner tubes. Over the past several decades, Sunstar evolved into a diversified organization well beyond oral health. Today Sunstar’s mission is to provide unique, useful, and attractive products and services that help people achieve and maintain Health, Beauty, Comfort and Safety.

For further information: www.sunstar.com

Interbros GmbH Interbros is a long-established manufacturer from the Black Forest region of Germany with expertise in toothbrushes and other oral care products. The company excels in manufacturing technology and process automation, and offers a full spectrum of services to its customers – from new product ideation, design, and prototyping, to finished product validation and production. Its intellectual property portfolio, quality management systems, and many recognition awards from its customers are testimony to its competencies for innovation and unsurpassed quality.

For further information: www.interbros.de

Contact Sunstar Mayumi Kaneda, Director Global PR
Sunstar Suisse SA
Route de Pallatex 15
1163 Etoy
Switzerland
Tel: +41 (0)21 821 0500

Contact Interbros Michael Schneider
Interbros GmbH
Aiterfeld 1
79677 Schönau
Germany
Tel: +49 7673 885-0