MESSAGE
Foremost Blue Seal established 61 years ago, has strong roots in Okinawa. We have developed this business for the locals and those from mainland Japan. Born in America and raised in Okinawa, the techniques we use to produce Blue Seal ice cream are grounded in the way ice cream is made in American. We stay loyal to maintaining this practice while finding the best, most unique matching flavors in the climate of Japan’s paradise, Okinawa. The characteristic flavors and quality management we thoroughly pursue in our production line makes our ice cream refreshing and light. Add that to the overflowing taste of America, and you get what Blue Seal is all about. We have produced flavors that are both nostalgic to the elderly and trendy for the youth. We endeavor everyday to discover and master flavors to develop delicious ice creams so each individual can have something they love. Also, since our ice cream is popularly used in gift-giving and souvenirs by visitors from mainland Japan,Blue Seal has become synonymous with the ice cream of Okinawa. In addition, we produce many varieties of ice cream using purple sweet potatoes, sugar cane, and other special prefectural goods as flavor. We have blended high grade American tastes with deliciousness found only in Okinawa to meet the diverse needs of our customers. We promise to continue even now and in the future to produce ice cream for children, women, men—everyone. We are honored to receive your patronage and will do all we can to produce ice cream you have only ever dreamt of.
Masaaki Mizuta. Representative Director.
Company Outline
| ■Firm Name | Foremost blueseal,LTD | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ■Established | 1948 | ||||||||||||||
| ■Founding Anniversary | 1963/2/9 | ||||||||||||||
| ■Main Office Address | 5-5-6 Makiminato, Urasoe City, Okinawa Prefecture 901-2610 | ||||||||||||||
| ■Telephone Numbers |
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| ■FAX | 098-876-6499 | ||||||||||||||
| ■Fax (Operations Line) | 098-877-9799 | ||||||||||||||
| ■Capital | 151,890,000 yen | ||||||||||||||
| ■Business Operations | Ice cream sales Sales of ice cream related goods Sales of chilled sweets and dairy products Ice cream parlor management Restaurant management |
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| ■Representative | Representative Director: Masaaki Mizuta | ||||||||||||||
| ■Employees | 184 employees (including temporary and part-time) as of March 2008 | ||||||||||||||
| ■Banks of Transactions | Okinawa Bank, Ryukyu Bank, Kaiho Bank, Koza Credit Union, Sumitomo Mitsui Bank |
HISTORY
| ■1948 | A contract with the U.S. forms the basis of establishing business in present-day Gushikawa City, Okinawa. |
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| ■1963 | An associated company of International Dairies Co., headquartered in California, builds an establishment in Urasoe City, Okinawa. |
| ■1972 | Acquires approval from the Japanese government to become a publicly traded company. |
| ■1976 | Company’s name changes to Foremost Blue Seal. |
| ■1978 | Japanese government approves expansion of operations outside of Okinawa Prefecture. |
| ■1983 | The ice cream parlor “BigDip” is reconstructed to become the largest parlor in Japan. |
| ■1984 | Transfer of stocks to Friesland Food Co. |
| ■1985 | The first ice cream parlor in Kyushu opens. |
| ■1990 | Come under the umbrella of Holland-based Friesland Frico Domo International Division. |
| ■1994 | The Yaeyama Office opens in Ishigaki City, Okinawa Prefecture. |
| ■1995 | The 2nd BigDip shop in Chatan Town opens. |
| ■1996 | Transfer of stocks to the Pokka Corporation and coming under the umbrella of the Pokka Group. |
| ■2002 | Integrate manufacturing processes with Okinawa Meiji Dairy Corp. to form M&B Corp. |
| ■2003 | BigDip, Chatan shop, gets a café-style makeover. |
| ■2004 | Opening of the Blue Seal On Dish restaurant. |
| ■2005 | BigDip, Makiminato shop, is renewed to feature a historical timeline. |
| ■2006 | The 4th directly managed Blue Seal BigDip shop opens in Iso in November. The first franchise shop opens in Fussa City, Tokyo. |
| ■2007 | The 5th corporate-ran Blue Seal BigDip shop opens in Toyosaki in August. The 2nd franchise shop opens in Koshigoe, Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture in April. |
| ■2008 | The 3rd franchise shop opens as a Blue Seal Café in Shibuya, Tokyo in April. The 4th franchise shop opens as a Blue Seal Café Cross Garden in Tama City, Tokyo in April. |
| ■2009 | In April, BigDip, Makiminato shop, remakes its image to match the 1960’s. A Blue Seal franchise shop opens in Ikebukuro Sunshine City in Toshima District, Tokyo in April. |
