Mr. Yoshihiko Ando, CEO and President of Ichimaru Pharcos, visited the country for the first time in March this year. It was another blessing for sure as Actichem celebrates its 15th anniversary. It was great to welcome the leader of our number one and very first supplier. Mr. Ando visited some of Actichem’s clients, namely, Splash, Dermpharma, and Human Nature.

I met Mr. Ando for the first time during one of the PCIA conferences in China many years ago. He is a very simple, unassuming man, with no air of superiority. He speaks quietly and listens intently, but one can discern the man’s dedication to his work and to the company which was handed down to him by his father. Ichimaru Pharcos is basically a family business that has grown in tremendous proportions throughout the years. To read more about them, visit their website here.

In early-1998, when Actichem was just starting, Ichimaru was the very first foreign supplier who trusted our then small and fledgling business. Usui, their representative to the Philippines, and I communicated feverishly via email, fax, and phone calls as I immersed myself into the thick of product developments with prospective clients.

Back in those early days, Actichem was a one-man business. When I went out to visit clients for a series of presentations, Usui would call my office. Naturally, there was no one to answer except the answering machine (these were the days before I hired a secretary :)). He would become impatient and wondered why there was nobody in the office.

But in the midst of the many challenges in those days, Ichimaru and Actichem had forged a strong partnership that had remained solid through the years. Their products remain our company’s top sellers.

The top 5 sellers as of 2012:

Clairblanche
Clairblanche II
BioAntiage
K2 Glycyrrhizinate
Clairju

Needless to say, I always had a high regard for Japanese cosmetic raw materials and I never failed to emphasize this fact in my product presentations. In Ichimaru, extensive research is put into every active ingredient before it is launched. Their stringent manufacturing standards insure the production of safe, high-quality products. Another great thing is, Ichimaru continues to research and develop novel cosmetic ingredients that are multifunctional. Every year, they have a new offering, enabling clients to stay at the cutting edge of product development and latest global trends.

In closing, as was mentioned above, Actichem is celebrating its 15th anniversary and we have some specials in store for you, so watch out for those. Come visit here often.

A blessed week to all!