SATO Corporation(SATO), hereby announces that it has entered into a share transfer agreement with Hiranoya Bussan Co., Ltd. (Hiranoya Bussan), which manufactures and sells flexible packages, to acquire all voting shares of the company.
The acquisition is aimed at reinforcing the foundation of the company’s smart packaging business, a new growth driver, to help realize the Perfect and Unique Tagging concept set forth in SATO's medium-term management plan.
Background
SATO provides solutions based on automatic identification technologies to help its customers enhance their operational efficiency and solve problems.
In recent years, expectations for smart packaging — packages that can be linked to digital information — are on the rise globally, as companies across industries seek to enhance traceability, create digital touchpoints with consumers, or play their part in building a circular economy. In particular, smart packaging with integrated auto-ID technologies is expected to grow further. The company sees these trends as new growth opportunities.
In addition, other developments such as the Sunrise 2027* initiative in the U.S. retail industries, the Japan government’s consideration of requiring use of two-dimensional (2D) barcodes in food packaging, and the growing sophistication with which medical devices and pharmaceutical products are managed at item level further drive the need for attaching digital information on a variety of products.
Hiranoya Bussan and its strengths
Hiranoya Bussan manufactures and sells flexible packages for food and fast-moving consumer goods, among others. Its main products are pouches, a segment with a high growth potential in Japan’s flexible packaging market. Boasting its advanced manufacturing technology and quality control know-how, the company offers functional products, specially shaped products and other high-value-added products that help enhance their customers’ product value — and consequently, their brand value — staving off price competition.
Entering its 69th year since foundation, the company handles all the processes from plate making to bag making and have a wealth of know-how in the manufacture and sales of their products.
Having acquired Hiranoya Bussan partly to accommodate the company’s needs to continue its business, SATO intends to maintain and evolve the expertise the company has honed over the years, developing its human resources and building on its customer base, and position it for further growth.
Next steps
SATO will combine Hiranoya Bussan’s manufacturing technology for flexible packages centering on pouches with its auto-ID technologies, such as 2D barcodes and RFID, to accelerate development and release of solutions in the smart packaging field.
Through giving an ID to each package and enabling attaching information to it, SATO aims to advance end-to-end traceability from manufacturing, logistics, sales, consumption through recycling and help realize item-level management to enhance customers’ operational efficiency and create new customer value.
Details of the share acquisition
Number of shares acquired : All voting shares
Ratio of voting rights holding : 100%
Date of contract execution : June 1, 2026
Date of share transfer : June 15, 2026
* The acquisition price and other details will not be disclosed based on the confidentiality agreement with the company.
Overview of Hiranoya Bussan Co.,
Company name : Hiranoya Bussan Co.,Ltd.
Location : Onojo City, Fukuoka Prefecture
Representative : Keitaro Mori, Representative Director and President
Foundation : December 1957
Incorporation : February 1959
Capital stock : JPY 50 million
Number of employees : 125 (as of May 31, 2026)
Description of business : Manufacture and sale of packaging materials for food and fast-moving household goods