Okinawa Orion Beer to be Listed on Tokyo Stock Exchange in September, Backed by Nomura Holdings and American Carlyle Group
Orion Beer Seeks Listing on Tokyo Stock Exchange
Orion Beer, headquartered in Tomigusuku City, Okinawa Prefecture, has applied for listing on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, with the earliest possible completion of the listing in September this year. If the listing proceeds smoothly, Orion will become the first manufacturing company from Okinawa to enter the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Prior to the IPO, Orion streamlined its operations, selling a city hotel in Naha and focusing on a resort near the newly built Jangalia Okinawa theme park, where it holds exclusive beverage sales rights.
The IPO is led by Nomura Securities, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Securities, and Mizuho Securities as the main underwriters. According to informed sources, the company plans to accelerate its expansion in the Japanese domestic market and actively expand its overseas presence after going public. Orion has seen significant operational growth in recent years, with sales reaching 27.8 billion yen in FY2024, a year-on-year increase of 12%, driven by a surge in overall performance in Japan’s tourism sector, while operating profit reached 3.2 billion yen, growing by 3%.
To prepare for market scrutiny post-IPO, Orion has also adjusted its operational structure, including IP licensing, developing co-branded merchandise, selling the city hotel in Naha, focusing on the resort facilities in Tomigusuku Village, and securing exclusive beverage sales rights, among other initiatives. These arrangements indicate that the company is steadily advancing towards brand diversification and corporate expansion.
Orion Now Belongs to Carlyle Group and Nomura Holdings
Founded in 1957, Orion Beer is the most representative local brand in Okinawa. The company was acquired by the American Carlyle Group and Nomura Holdings in 2019. In recent years, it has also focused on the tourism industry, including investment in the newly opened theme park in Tomigusuku Village, Jangalia.
Beyond its core beer business, Orion is actively developing IP licensing as a new revenue pillar. In FY2019, Orion’s licensing business generated total sales of 1 billion yen, but in FY2020 and FY2021, sales dropped to 300 million yen due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. President Hajime Murano, who took office in December 2021, recognized the high brand visibility of the Orion Beer logo in the tourism industry and decided to expand the IP licensing business. In July 2023, he appointed Shunsaku Aratani, who has experience in IP licensing, as the licensing manager to lead the business and actively leverage the appeal of the Orion brand to boost performance.
Due to Orion’s popularity, the company is also actively combating counterfeiting while collaborating with professional sports teams and fashion brands to further expand its brand influence. The clothing and merchandise launched in recent years have been warmly received by Okinawa tourists, reinforcing its status as a representative regional brand.
In FY2024, the sales of the licensing business are expected to reach about 3 billion yen, a year-on-year increase of 1.5 times; as of July, sales performance has reached 2.4 times that of the same period last year. The company expects to exceed 6 billion yen in the fiscal year 2025, accounting for nearly 10% of total revenue.
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