Hoshizaki Corp 6465

Hoshizaki’s Acquisition of Ozti to Affect Near-Term Profits, but Expect Margin Recovery From 2025

As the largest commercial kitchen equipment manufacturer in Japan, the company utilizes its domestic network of 440 offices/branches to not only sell its products but to promptly provide maintenance services to its customers throughout Japan. This allows Hoshizaki to have a competitive advantage with scale in Japan, where the majority of its total sales are generated. Hoshizaki’s sales is mainly done directly, which allows the company to maintain relationships with its customers. These factors have allowed the company to attain the leading market share with its key products such as commercial refrigerators, ice machines, and beer dispensers, as well as a brand (known for its penguin logo in Japan) in the "cold" kitchen equipment space. We expect the company’s strong reputation and its vast service network to allow the company to maintain the leading domestic share and prevent competitors from making a material impact on its incumbent status in future.