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Nov. 15, 2004 – Sunstar Buys Braking

Braking International was recently purchased by Sunstar Logistic Singapore Pte. Ltd., a unit of Japan-based Sunstar, Inc. To consolidate the ownership of the Braking group by Sunstar, Motion Pro, Inc. has sold its 49% interest in Braking USA back to Braking International.
Braking invented the Wave rotor design and produces a full line of rotors, calipers and brake pads for the powersports market. Motion Pro specializes in control cables, levers, tools, throttles and accessories.
The Sunstar group has a manufacturing and sales company in the United States called Sunnex, Inc. On October 29, Braking International moved Braking USA’s operations from the Motion Pro headquarters in San Carlos, Calif., to the Sunnex facility in Franklin, Ohio.
“I have no desire to change any of the distribution, at least for the first year,” Sunnex Vice President Richard Ohigashi told Powersports Business.
“Customers may experience a short period of a week or two during which Braking will not be able to ship product because it will be in transit between California and Ohio, but with the ongoing help of Motion Pro we expect to minimize any inconvenience to our customers and have the operation up and running again in as short a time as possible,” Ohigashi said.
“The sale of Braking USA to the Sunstar group allows them to achieve their goal of consolidating the manufacturing and distribution operations of Braking, and I am very happy to say that it will also allow Motion Pro to focus on our growing cable and tool business,” said Chris Carter, Motion Pro president. “In order to help insure a smooth transition, we entered into a seperate contract with the Sunstar group to provide ongoing consulting services to them on sales, marketing, and customer service for the Braking product line.”
Motion Pro distributes through Bell Industries, Custom Chrome, Flanders Company, Hap Jones, KK Motorcycle Supply, K&L Supply, Lockhart Phillips USA, Marshall Distributing, Mid-USA Cycle, Midwest Motorcycle Supply, Nichol’s Motorcycle Supply, Parts Unlimited, Southern Motorcycle Supply, Tucker Rocky and White Brothers.
In the United States, Braking manufactures discs for OEMs and the ATV and motorcycle aftermarket; all other product is sourced from overseas.
Ohigashi said manufacturing in the United States will continue unabated for the first year. After that, he said, a wider array of parts may be produced in the United States.
Hiroo Kaneda is CEO of the Sunstar group. Kaneda Metallic Industrial, Seikosha, Far East Chemical and the Imperial Rubber Company merged in 1950 to form Sunstar, Inc.
Today, in addition to Ohio-based Sunnex, Inc., the Sunstar group includes offices and companies in 13 countries. Group companies include Sunstar Engineering, Inc., which operates 14 offices in Japan, and has subsidiaries in Thailand, Indonesia, Spain and the U.S; and Illinois-based Sunstar Americas, Inc. and Sunstar Pharmaceutical Inc., formerly the John O. Butler Company, and its offices in Canada, Italy, Sweden, Spain and Germany.

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