Church & Dwight is an American consumer goods company focusing on personal care, household products, and specialty products. The company was founded in 1846 and is headquartered in

Ewing, New Jersey Ewing Township is a township in Mercer County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The township falls within the New York metropolitan area as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. It borders the Philadelphia metropolitan area and is part of the ...

. It is the parent company of well-known brands such as Arm & Hammer, Trojan, OxiClean, and First Response. In 2021, Church & Dwight reported annual revenue of $3.6 billion. The company's products and services include a wide range of consumer goods, including

laundry detergent Laundry detergent is a type of detergent (cleaning agent) used for cleaning dirty laundry (clothes). Laundry detergent is manufactured in powder (washing powder) and liquid form. While powdered and liquid detergents hold roughly equal share o ...

, air fresheners,

baking soda Sodium bicarbonate (IUPAC name: sodium hydrogencarbonate), commonly known as baking soda or bicarbonate of soda, is a chemical compound with the formula NaHCO3. It is a salt composed of a sodium cation ( Na+) and a bicarbonate anion ( HCO3� ...

condoms A condom is a sheath-shaped Barrier contraception, barrier device used during sexual intercourse to reduce the probability of pregnancy or a Sexually transmitted disease, sexually transmitted infection (STI). There are both male and female con ...

, pregnancy tests, and

oral hygiene Oral hygiene is the practice of keeping one's mouth clean and free of disease and other problems (e.g. bad breath) by regular brushing of the teeth (dental hygiene) and cleaning between the teeth. It is important that oral hygiene be carried out ...

products.

History

The company was founded in 1847 to unify two companies created by John Dwight of

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and his brother-in-law, Austin Church of

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

. Their partnership had begun in 1846 with the two founders selling

sodium bicarbonate Sodium bicarbonate ( IUPAC name: sodium hydrogencarbonate), commonly known as baking soda or bicarbonate of soda, is a chemical compound with the formula NaHCO3. It is a salt composed of a sodium cation ( Na+) and a bicarbonate anion ( HCO3− ...

(also known as baking soda) that they refined in Dwight's kitchen. The Arm & Hammer name and logo, which dates back to the 1860s, is often incorrectly claimed to have originated with tycoon

Armand Hammer Armand Hammer (May 21, 1898 – December 10, 1990) was an American business manager and owner, most closely associated with Occidental Petroleum, a company he ran from 1957 until his death. Called "Lenin's chosen capitalist" by the press, ...

. Hammer was so often asked about the Church & Dwight brand, however, that he attempted to buy the company. While this attempt was unsuccessful, Hammer's

Occidental Petroleum Occidental Petroleum Corporation (often abbreviated Oxy in reference to its ticker symbol and logo) is an American company engaged in hydrocarbon exploration in the United States, and the Middle East as well as petrochemical manufacturing in th ...

in 1986 acquired enough stock for him to join the Church & Dwight board of directors until he died in 1990. In 1970, the Arm & Hammer brand introduced the market's first nationally distributed, phosphate-free detergent: Arm & Hammer Powder Laundry Detergent. Recent findings have shown the harmful effects phosphates could have on the health of lakes, streams, and other freshwater bodies. The brand rushed to provide a solution and brought the product from concept to market in less than a year.

2000s

In 2001, the

consumer product A final good or consumer good is a final product ready for sale that is used by the consumer to satisfy current wants or needs, unlike a intermediate good, which is used to produce other goods. A microwave oven or a bicycle is a final good, but ...

line of Carter-Wallace was sold to Church & Dwight, and MedPointe bought the diagnostics and drug businesses. The same year, Church & Dwight expanded its business into laundry detergent products by acquiring small detergent company USA Detergents, the original owner of Xtra detergent. In 2003, Church and Dwight bought the domestic rights to

Unilever Unilever plc is a British multinational consumer goods company with headquarters in London, England. Unilever products include food, condiments, bottled water, baby food, soft drink, ice cream, instant coffee, cleaning agents, energy dr ...

's oral care business, which includes

Pepsodent Pepsodent is an American brand of toothpaste with the minty flavor derived from sassafras. The brand was purchased by Unilever in 1942 and is still owned by the company outside of the United States and Canada. In 2003, Unilever sold the rights t ...

, Mentadent,

Close-Up A close-up or closeup in filmmaking, television production, still photography, and the comic strip medium is a type of shot that tightly frames a person or object. Close-ups are one of the standard shots used regularly with medium and long ...

, and Aim. Unilever still owns the brands outside of the United States and Canada. Church & Dwight expanded its household brand portfolio with the acquisition in 2006 of Orange Glo International, which included such brands as OxiClean in the laundry pre-wash additive category, Kaboom bathroom cleaners, and Orange Glo household cleaning products. In 2008, Church & Dwight acquired the Orajel business from Del Labs, including pain relievers for toothache, mouth sore, teething, and non-fluoride toothpaste.

2010s

Church & Dwight was ranked 723 in the

Fortune 500 The ''Fortune'' 500 is an annual list compiled and published by ''Fortune'' magazine that ranks 500 of the largest United States corporations by total revenue for their respective fiscal years. The list includes publicly held companies, along w ...

listing of companies in 2010. The same year, Church & Dwight acquired Simply Saline and Feline Pine. In 2016, Church & Dwight acquired Spencer Forrest, Inc., the maker of Toppik hair care products. In 2017,

MidOcean Partners MidOcean Partners is a New York-based alternative asset management firm that specializes in mid-sized private equity and alternative leveraged investments. The firm, founded in February 2003, is based in Midtown Manhattan. MidOcean was origina ...

agreed to sell Water Pik to Church & Dwight for $1 billion. At the time of the sale announcement, it was reported that Waterpik had "$265 million of revenue in the fiscal year ended June 30, about 70% of which came from its water flosser products".

Notable brands

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Church And Dwight Chemical companies of the United States Manufacturing companies based in New Jersey Companies based in Mercer County, New Jersey American companies established in 1896 Manufacturing companies established in 1896 1896 establishments in New Jersey Companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange Ewing Township, New Jersey