Monday, March 25, 2013

“Our Company has Grown over 10 Fold Since 1995”

Julien Mininberg, President & CEO of Kaz Inc., one of the leading Producers and Marketers of High Quality Branded Consumer and Healthcare devices Globally talks about the Company’s Growth, R&D and Strategic Importance of India as a Market, to B&E’s
Issue Date - 03/03/2011

B&E: Kaz has been selling healthcare devices for over 90 years now. How does its current product portfolio look like and how much do you sell globally?
Julien Mininberg (JM): Kaz is a worldwide leader in healthcare products and small domestic appliances, with annual revenues of over $500 million and is today operating in more than 65 countries. Our healthcare products portfolio primarily comprises of Vicks and Braun thermometers, Vicks humidifiers and Vicks vapourisers. Kaz is not just the market leader in these product categories in North America, Europe, Middle East and Asia, but also a #1 worldwide in thermometers with its patented Braun infrared ear thermometers. The small domestic appliances are primarily Honeywell air purifiers, heaters and fans, and are sold all over the world.

B&E: So, how many brands are you exactly associated with?
JM: Kaz licences four world-class brands globally. This includes Vicks, which it had licensed from the Procter & Gamble way back in 1995. The Vicks name has been trusted by moms and families across the globe for over 100 years and sells products worth more than $1 billion annually. India is a very important part of Vicks’ global equity. In order to compliment the existing line of Vicks products in India, such as Vicks Vaporub (which consumers already know and trust), we plan to bring high quality, reliable products to this strategically important market under the Vicks brand name. Kaz also licences products under the Braun brand name from P&G for thermometers and blood pressure monitors. Kaz’s Braun Thermoscan ear thermometers are preferred by medical professionals worldwide and are the #1 consumer ear thermometer in most countries where they are sold. We also have brand licences for Febreze and Honeywell. We are the oldest, largest and most global licensee for both P&G and Honeywell. In the last three years, Kaz has been recognised by P&G twice and has been awarded for excellence. Honeywell too has consistently featured Kaz as their best licensee.

B&E: What do you think will work best for you in India – cost leadership or product differentiation?
JM: Our strategy is to bring the world’ best technology and quality to the Indian consumers under the Vicks brand name at a value that is relevant for a task as serious as that of taking care of the health of a human being. In fact, we plan to introduce an increasingly broad line of Vicks thermometers, vapourisers, vapour inhalants & humidifiers, all designed to improve the lives and well being of Indian consumers. In addition, we will also be launching our Braun infrared ear thermometers in India.

B&E: What about your future strategies and growth plans?
JM: The company has grown over 10 fold since 1995. All this has been possible through a combination of organic and inorganic growth which we plan to continue with in the near future. Today, more than half of the Kaz total revenue comes from the sales of healthcare products such as Vicks and Braun (we sell over $100 million worth of products every year under each of these brand names) and as such will continue to focus on these two brands in the near future as well. We have just started in India, and are aiming at a 500% growth in the next three years.
 

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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