Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, commonly known as Henkel, is a German multinational chemical and consumer goods company headquartered in
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf ( , , ; often in English sources; Low Franconian and Ripuarian: ''Düsseldörp'' ; archaic nl, Dusseldorp ) is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in th ...
, Germany. It is active in both the consumer and industrial sectors. Founded in 1876, the
DAX
Dax or DAX may refer to:
Business and organizations
* DAX, stock market index of the top 40 German companies
** DAX 100, an expanded index of 100 stocks, superseded by the HDAX
** TecDAX, stock index of the top 30 German technology firms
* Dax ...
company is organized into three globally operating business units (Laundry & Home Care, Beauty Care, Adhesive Technologies) and is known for brands such as
Loctite,
Persil,
Fa,
Pritt,
Dial and
Purex
PUREX (plutonium uranium reduction extraction) is a chemical method used to purify fuel for nuclear reactors or nuclear weapons. PUREX is the ''de facto'' standard aqueous nuclear reprocessing method for the recovery of uranium and plutonium ...
, amongst others.
In the fiscal year 2021, Henkel reported sales of around 20 billion euros and an operating profit of 2.213 billion euros. More than 85% of its 52,450 employees work outside of Germany.
History
The company was founded in 1876 in
Aachen
Aachen ( ; ; Aachen dialect: ''Oche'' ; French and traditional English: Aix-la-Chapelle; or ''Aquisgranum''; nl, Aken ; Polish: Akwizgran) is, with around 249,000 inhabitants, the 13th-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia, and the 28th- ...
as Henkel & Cie by
Friedrich Karl Henkel (a 28-year-old retailer of chemicals and paint who was interested in industrial chemistry) and two more partners who were owners of a factory producing
sodium silicate (water glass).
They marketed his first product, "Universalwaschmittel", a universal detergent based on sodium silicate.
In 1878, Henkel bought out the two partners, and the first German brand-name detergent appeared: Henkel's Bleich-Soda
leaching Soda an affordably priced product supplied in sturdy paper bags. Made from sodium silicate and
soda
Soda or SODA may refer to:
Chemistry
* Some chemical compounds containing sodium
** Sodium carbonate, washing soda or soda ash
** Sodium bicarbonate, baking soda
** Sodium hydroxide, caustic soda
** Sodium oxide, an alkali metal oxide
* Sod ...
, it was the result of Fritz Henkel's own research. The soda was obtained from Matthes & Weber in
Duisburg
Duisburg () is a city in the Ruhr metropolitan area of the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Lying on the confluence of the Rhine and the Ruhr rivers in the center of the Rhine-Ruhr Region, Duisburg is the 5th largest city in Nor ...
(Henkel bought this company in 1917 and sold it in 1994). That year, to take advantage of the better transport links and sales opportunities, Henkel relocated his company to Düsseldorf on the Rhine (its present site).
Düsseldorf was the gateway to the Ruhr region, which became the most important industrial area of the German Empire from the 19th century onward.
In 1879, Fritz Henkel was entered as the sole owner in the register of companies. Sales of Henkel's Bleaching Soda increased so rapidly that within just one year the rented factory on the Schützenstraße in Düsseldorf was unable to meet the demand. Fritz Henkel decided to build his own factory with a direct link to the railway network.
In 1883, to improve liquidity and make better use of the company's travelling sales staff, Fritz Henkel decided to sell merchandise in addition to his detergents. Sales started in 1884. The range included the colorant
ultramarine
Ultramarine is a deep blue color pigment which was originally made by grinding lapis lazuli into a powder. The name comes from the Latin ''ultramarinus'', literally 'beyond the sea', because the pigment was imported into Europe from mines in Afgh ...
aundry bluing agent gloss
starch
Starch or amylum is a polymeric carbohydrate consisting of numerous glucose units joined by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by most green plants for energy storage. Worldwide, it is the most common carbohydrate in human diets ...
, a liquid
cleaning agent
Cleaning agents or hard-surface cleaners are substances (usually liquids, powders, sprays, or granules) used to remove dirt, including dust, stains, bad smells, and clutter on surfaces. Purposes of cleaning agents include health, beauty, removin ...
, a pomade for cleaning,
beef extract, and a hair
pomade
Pomade (; French ''pommade'') or pomatum is a greasy, waxy, or water-based substance that is used to style hair. Pomade generally gives the user's hair a shiny and slick appearance. It lasts longer than most hair-care products, and often re ...
. Very soon Henkel developed its international presence—in 1886, Henkel opened its first international sales office in Austria. Carl Pathe had gone to Vienna as a representative the year before. In 1893, Henkel established its first business links with England and Italy.
![Bundesarchiv Bild 183-09625-0002, Berlin, Alexanderplatz, Persil-Werbung](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-09625-0002%2C_Berlin%2C_Alexanderplatz%2C_Persil-Werbung.jpg)
In 1903, Schwarzkopf, founded by
Hans Schwarzkopf
Hans Schwarzkopf (1874, Danzig – 12 February 1921, Berlin) was a German chemist, entrepreneur, and inventor. He was the founder of the Schwarzkopf haircare brand, now owned by the Henkel brand.
Life
Hans Schwarzkopf studied chemistry and in 1 ...
(1874,
Danzig – 12 February 1921,
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
), launched a
powder shampoo. Persil came in 1907 as the first "self-acting laundry detergent."
Henkel has been a family-run business since the beginning. In 1893, Fritz Henkel Jr. (1875–1930) joined the firm as an apprentice. After receiving commercial training he became his father's right-hand man in commercial matters. He put Henkel's brand-name product business on a sound footing, developed its already successful advertising still further and was responsible for the company's field service. On 25 July 1904, he became a partner in Henkel, which was transformed into a general commercial partnership. By this time, 110 people were employed at the
Holthausen site. On 25 April 1905, Dr.
Hugo Henkel
Hugo Wilhelm Henkel (* 21 January 1881 in Düsseldorf; † 18 December 1952 in Hösel) was a German chemist and industrialist. He went down in history as the inventor of the Persil detergent.
Biography
Hugo Henkel was born as the third and you ...
(1881–1952), the youngest son of Fritz Henkel Sr., joined the company as a chemist. He was in charge of Chemical Products and Technology. Over the years, he laid the foundations of systematic research and introduced advanced technologies and new raw materials. In 1908, he became a personally liable partner in the company.
In 1912, total production in Düsseldorf-Holthausen rose to 49,890 tons. At 19,750 tons, Persil laundry detergent accounted for 40% of this, just five years after its market launch. The number of employees increased by 89 relative to the previous year, resulting in a total workforce of 1,024. Around half were female. A first-aid center was set up in the plant and a full-time nurse was employed. In the previous year, Henkel had installed ball fields and play areas to encourage exercise during break times. Female employees could attend the plant's own housekeeping school during the lunch break.
On 11 January 1923, troops from France and Belgium
occupied the Rhineland. The occupation made delivery of adhesives from suppliers used for the packaging of Persil unreliable. The disruption caused Henkel to internally manufacture adhesives for its own needs. Henkel found there was a demand for adhesives on the market, and on 22 June 1923, the first adhesive shipment left the plant.
In 1930
Hugo Henkel
Hugo Wilhelm Henkel (* 21 January 1881 in Düsseldorf; † 18 December 1952 in Hösel) was a German chemist and industrialist. He went down in history as the inventor of the Persil detergent.
Biography
Hugo Henkel was born as the third and you ...
took charge of the company. Following the Nazi seizure of power in 1933, he joined the
Nazi Party
The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that crea ...
(membership number 2,266,961) and served as a member of the Düsseldorf City Council. In the following years, the Henkel company received several awards by the regime and was designated a National Socialist Model Enterprise by the
Beauty of Labour organization.
After being pressured by the local party chapter, Hugo Henkel stepped down as managing director in 1938. Werner Lüps, the oldest grandson of company founder Fritz Henkel, took his position until his death in 1942. Lüps was a fervent supporter of the National Socialist cause even before 1933 and used the fact that
Hermann Göring
Hermann Wilhelm Göring (or Goering; ; 12 January 1893 – 15 October 1946) was a German politician, military leader and convicted war criminal. He was one of the most powerful figures in the Nazi Party, which ruled Germany from 1933 to 1 ...
, Commander-in-Chief of the
Luftwaffe
The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...
, was a distant paternal relative, to be promoted. During his rule, the company increased its shares of
Degussa AG
Evonik Industries AG is a stock-listed German specialty chemicals company headquartered in Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the second largest chemicals company in Germany, and one of the largest specialty chemicals companies in the ...
significantly, especially after the
Kristallnacht
() or the Night of Broken Glass, also called the November pogrom(s) (german: Novemberpogrome, ), was a pogrom against Jews carried out by the Nazi Party's (SA) paramilitary and (SS) paramilitary forces along with some participation from ...
in November 1938.
During World War II, several hundred
foreign civilian slavery workers and prisoners of war were working for the company.
![Henkel headquarters in Düsseldorf, Germany](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/Henkel_headquarters_in_D%C3%BCsseldorf%2C_Germany.jpg)
On 16 April 1945, American troops occupied Henkel's Düsseldorf site. On 5 June, the British military command in Düsseldorf took over from the Americans. From 20 July, the
British military government gradually granted permission for the production of adhesives, P3 and water-glass by Henkel, and for soaps and detergents as well as shoe polish by Thompson. In February 1946, Matthes & Weber in Duisburg was given permission to process available raw materials into soda. On 20 September 1945, five members of the Henkel family and another seven members of the Management Board and the Supervisory Board were interned.
In 1949, the launch of Schauma shampoo by Schwarzkopf marked the start of the most successful German shampoos.
In 1954, Henkel-subsidiary Dreiring launched Fa soap, a new type of toilet
soap
Soap is a salt of a fatty acid used in a variety of cleansing and lubricating products. In a domestic setting, soaps are surfactants usually used for washing, bathing, and other types of housekeeping. In industrial settings, soaps are use ...
. From 1970 onward it was joined by a series of Fa deodorants,
shower gel
Shower gel (also shower cream or body wash) is a specialized liquid product used for cleaning the body during showers. Not to be confused with liquid soaps, shower gels, in fact, do not contain saponified oil. Instead, it uses synthetic detergen ...
s and
bubble bath
A bubble bath is a filled bathtub with a layer of surfactant foam on the surface of the water and consequently also the surfactant product used to produce the foam or soap. Less commonly, aerated or carbonated baths are called ''bubble baths''. ...
s, making Fa one of the best known umbrella brands in the toiletry sector.
Pritt, the world's first glue stick, made its debut in 1969. Over the years, other products were introduced under this brand, underlining Henkel's importance in the
office and stationery supplies sector. Exports of Pritt began in the same year, eventually making this Henkel's most widespread global brand. Vernel fabric softener and
enzyme
Enzymes () are proteins that act as biological catalysts by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecules known as products. A ...
-based bioactive Persil 70 appeared.
![3 Lynn Garrison SE5s for wallpaper paste ad 1973](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/3_Lynn_Garrison_SE5s_for_wallpaper_paste_ad_1973.png)
Starting in the 1960s, Henkel has combined organic growth with strategic company acquisitions:
* In 1960, by acquiring Standard Chemical Products, Inc. (known as Henkel Inc from 1971), Henkel entered the U.S. chemical products market.
* In 1962, Henkel acquired Sichel-Werke AG, Hannover, its main German competitor in the adhesives sector.
* In 1974, Henkel acquired shares in
The Clorox Company
The Clorox Company (formerly Clorox Chemical Company) is an American global manufacturer and marketer of consumer and professional products. As of 2020 the Oakland, California based company had approximately 8,800 employees worldwide. Net sales ...
to facilitate the production and sale of certain products developed by Henkel for household and bulk consumers (sold in 2004).
* In 1983, Henkel acquired the AOK facial care range from the company von Heyden GmbH and thus strengthened its position in the
cosmetics
Cosmetics are constituted mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either natural sources, or synthetically created ones. Cosmetics have various purposes. Those designed for personal care and skin care can be used to cleanse or protect ...
retail trade.
* In 1991, Henkel acquired ''Teroson'' of Heidelberg (in existence since 1898) and integrated it into its Adhesives and Surface Technologies business sectors.
* In 1995, Henkel acquired the cosmetics company Hans Schwarzkopf GmbH.
* In 1996, Henkel acquired Thiem Automotive, a division of National Starch and Chemical Company. The acquisition included a manufacturing plant in Oak Creek, Wisconsin.
* In 1997, Henkel purchased the
Loctite Corporation.
* The purchase of
The Dial Corporation
Henkel Corporation, doing business as Henkel North American Consumer Goods, and formerly The Dial Corporation, is an American company based in Stamford, Connecticut. It is a manufacturer of personal care and household cleaning products, and is a ...
in 2004 was Henkel's biggest acquisition in its history at the time. This renowned American personal care and household cleaning products company gave Henkel a strong foothold on the North American market.
* In 2004, Henkel also acquired the American cosmetics company Advanced Research Laboratories (ARL), that has developed and marketed hair cosmetics.
* Also in 2004, Henkel acquired Orbseal. The former Orbseal plant in Richmond, MO was converted to a Henkel plant.
* In April 2008, Henkel acquired National Starch, the adhesives and electronic materials businesses previously owned by
AkzoNobel
Akzo Nobel N.V., stylized as AkzoNobel, is a Dutch multinational company which creates paints and performance coatings for both industry and consumers worldwide. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the company has activities in more than 80 countries, ...
. In 2007, the two business segments of National Starch generated sales of
£1.25 billion (about
€
The euro sign () is the currency sign used for the euro, the official currency of the eurozone and unilaterally adopted by Kosovo and Montenegro. The design was presented to the public by the European Commission on 12 December 1996. It consists ...
1.83 billion). The purchase price was £2.7 billion (about €3.7 billion).
In 2008, Henkel KGaA became Henkel AG & Co. KGaA. That same year, Prof. Dr. Ulrich Lehner retired from his position as Chairman of the Management Board of Henkel KGaA. He was succeeded by Kasper Rorsted. In September 2009,
Simone Bagel-Trah was elected as new Chairwoman by the Henkel Shareholders' Committee as well as Henkel's Supervisory Board. The retirement of Albrecht Woeste, who had been member of the Committee since 1976 and its president since 1990, marked the transition from the fourth generation of the Henkel family to the fifth.
On 5 May 2011,
Jyothy Laboratories
Jyoti means "divine light" in many Indian languages.
Jyoti and variant spellings may refer to:
Films and TV
* ''Jothi'' (1939 film), a Tamil film
* ''Jyothi'' (1976 film), a Telugu film
* ''Jyoti'' (1981 film), a Hindi film
* ''Jyoti'' (1988 ...
bought 50.97% stake in Henkel India. It has offered to buy 20% more in Henkel India through a compulsory open offer mandated by
SEBI
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is the regulatory body for securities and commodity market in India under the ownership of Ministry of Finance within the Government of India. It was established on 12 April 1988 as an executive ...
norms.
In 2014, Henkel offered to buy French-based laundry aids-to-shoe polish manufacturer Spotless for 940 million Euros (about $1.3 billion) in cash. The deal would slightly increase Henkel's share of the $82 billion global laundry care market to 8.7%, still well behind
Procter & Gamble
The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is an American multinational consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. It specializes in a wide range of personal health/consumer hea ...
's 26.6% and the 14.8% market share held by
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 drink, t ...
, which sells Persil detergent—a Henkel brand—in some markets. The takeover, which was subject to approval from antitrust authorities, was completed in May 2015.
Effective 1 May 2016, Hans Van Bylen took over the position as Chairman of the Henkel Management Board. Also in 2016, Henkel acquired the laundry and home care company
Sun Products
The Sun Products Corporation (now Henkel North American Consumer Goods Inc.) was a United States-based manufacturer of laundry detergent, fabric softeners, and other household care products. With annual sales of $2.0 billion, the company's brand ...
for 3.2 billion euros ($3.6 billion), thus becoming No. 2 supplier in the North American laundry care market, and presented its new strategic priorities and financial ambition for 2020.
In 2017, Henkel announces to manage its
Corporate Venture Capital
Corporate venture capital (CVC) is the investment of corporate funds directly in external startup companies.Chesbrough, Henry''Making Sense of Corporate Venture Capital''. Harvard Business Review, 2002. CVC is defined by the Business Dictionary as ...
activities in a dedicated unit (Henkel Ventures) to invest up to 150 million euros in start-ups with digital or technological expertise. In the same year, Henkel buys Darex Packaging Technologies and Sonderhoff Group, expanding the Adhesive Technologies business. With the acquisition of Nattura Laboratorios in 2017, Henkel also expands its footprint in the US and Latin American professional hair care market. On September 7, Henkel inaugurates its new North American Consumer Goods headquarters in
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford () is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut, outside of Manhattan. It is Connecticut's second-most populous city, behind Bridgeport. With a population of 135,470, Stamford passed Hartford and New Haven in population as of the 2020 ...
. This move is part of the integration of The
Sun Products
The Sun Products Corporation (now Henkel North American Consumer Goods Inc.) was a United States-based manufacturer of laundry detergent, fabric softeners, and other household care products. With annual sales of $2.0 billion, the company's brand ...
Corporation, which Henkel acquired the year before. In December 2017, Henkel also closes the acquisition of
Shiseido's North American hair professional business, including brands like Joico and Zotos.
In October 2019, Carsten Knobel was appointed to succeed
Hans Van Bylen as CEO of Henkel as of January 1, 2020. In November 2019, Henkel acquired hair care company
DevaCurl
DevaCurl is an American brand of hair care products.
History
The first Devachan salon was founded by Lorraine Massey and Dennis Da Silva in 1994 in New York City. Massey, a hairstylist, developed the "Curly Girl Method" and authored the book "C ...
from a fund managed by Ares Management Corporation.
Financial data
Sustainability
In 1992, Henkel published its first Environment Report. Henkel is also a founding member of the
"World Business Council for Sustainable Development" (WBCSD). In 2003, Henkel declared its participation in the
United Nations Global Compact
The United Nations Global Compact is a non-binding United Nations pact to encourage businesses and firms worldwide to adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies, and to report on their implementation. The UN Global Compact is a princ ...
and has committed itself to the Compact's ten principles in the areas of human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption. Since 2008, Henkel is an official member of the
"Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil" (RSPO). In 2012 Henkel, along with five other chemical companies, started the
Together for Sustainability initiative, focused in the sustainability of its supply chain.
In 2008, the company announced its sustainability targets for 2012, which were met by the end of 2010: energy consumption had decreased by 21 percent, water usage by 26 percent, and the amount of waste generated by 24 percent. Over the same period, the number of occupational accidents fell by 29 percent. Presented in 2012, the goal of Henkel's new Sustainability Strategy 2030 is to achieve more with less and to triple the efficiency. The strategy's focal areas are divided into two dimensions: Under the headline "more value", the company focuses on the areas "social progress", "safety and health" and "performance". The second dimension "reduced footprint" deals with "energy and climate", "materials and waste" and "water and wastewater". As a short-term goal until 2015, Henkel aims to achieve a 15 percent reduction per production unit in the focal areas energy, water and waste. At the same time, the company plans to reach a 10 percent increase in net external sales per production unit. Henkel also intends to reduce its incident rate by 20 percent.
Henkel has been listed in the
Dow Jones Sustainability Index. In 2011, the company was named sustainability leader in the Nondurable Household Products sector for the fifth consecutive time.
Henkel has structured its
corporate citizenship
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a form of international private business self-regulation which aims to contribute to societal goals of a philanthropic, activist, or charitable nature by engaging in or supporting volunteering or ethicall ...
activities around three core elements: supporting employee volunteering (MIT Initiative), corporate and
brand engagement
Brand engagement is the process of forming an emotional or rational attachment between a consumer and a brand. It comprises one aspect of brand management. Brand engagement will impact brand attachment and has a positive influence on customer pur ...
for the common good and emergency aid. Since 1998, Henkel employees and retirees have been involved in over 16,800 projects in more than 100 countries.
In 2016,
Standard Ethics Aei
Standard Ethics is an independent sustainability reporting rating agency based in London, known for its sustainable finance and ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) studies. In 2001, it introduced a standardised approach to sustainabilit ...
has given a rating to Henkel in order to include the company in its Standard Ethics German Index. In September 2018, Henkel announces new targets for the global packaging strategy in order to further promote a
circular economy
A circular economy (also referred to as circularity and CE) is a model of production and consumption, which involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible. CE aims ...
.
Shareholders
Around 31% Shares owned by British investors, 30% Shares owned by American investors, followed by Germany (7%), Canada (7%), rest of Europe (19%) and Asia Pacific (5%).
Competitors and anti-competitive practices
Henkel's main competitors in its cleaning division are
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 drink, t ...
,
Procter & Gamble
The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is an American multinational consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. It specializes in a wide range of personal health/consumer hea ...
and
Reckitt Benckiser
Reckitt Benckiser Group plc, trading as Reckitt, is a British multinational consumer goods company headquartered in Slough, England. It is a producer of health, hygiene and nutrition products. The company was formed in March 1999 by the merg ...
. In its beauty division, its main competitors are
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 drink, t ...
,
Procter & Gamble
The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is an American multinational consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. It specializes in a wide range of personal health/consumer hea ...
,
Coty,
Sephora
Sephora is a French multinational retailer of personal care and beauty products. Featuring nearly 340 brands, along with its own private label, Sephora Collection, Sephora offers beauty products including cosmetics, skincare, body, fragrance, n ...
and
L'Oréal
L'Oréal S.A. () is a French personal care company headquartered in Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine with a registered office in Paris. It is the world's largest cosmetics company and has developed activities in the field concentrating on hair color, sk ...
. In its chemical and adhesive division, it has many competitors, but the main multinational competitors are
Bostik
Bostik is a manufacturer and distributor of adhesives and sealants for the construction, industrial and consumer markets. With annual sales of €2.1 billion, the company employs 6,000 people and has a presence in more than 40 countries. Bo ...
and
H.B. Fuller
H.B. Fuller Company is a major American adhesives manufacturing company supplying industrial adhesives worldwide.
The company has long received praise in ethical investment circles for such things as careful handling of toxic waste and the nature ...
.
Henkel
has been found by the
European Commission
The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body o ...
to have established a price-fixing cartel for washing powder in Europe, along with Procter & Gamble and Unilever, which were fined €211.2 million and €104 million respectively, in April 2011. As the provider of the tip-off leading to investigations, Henkel was not fined.
Henkel was fined by
Autorité de la concurrence in France in 2016 for price-fixing on personal hygiene products.
Business units
Henkel is organized into three business units: Adhesive Technologies, Beauty Care, and Laundry & Home Care. Henkel leads the global market in the field of adhesives. Henkel's Beauty Care and Laundry & Home Care consumer businesses also hold top positions in numerous markets and categories.
Adhesive Technologies
Henkel is the world's number one adhesives producer. The business unit offers a broad portfolio of adhesives, sealants, and functional coatings for both Industry and Consumers with brands like
Loctite, Technomelt, Teroson, Bonderite, and Aquence, and Consumers, Craftsmen and Building businesses with brands like
Pritt,
Loctite, Ceresit and Pattex.
The Industry business includes four areas:
*Packaging and Consumer Goods Adhesives
*Transport and Metal
*General Industry
*Electronics
And the Consumers, Craftsmen, and Building business area markets a range of brand-name products for private, trade and construction users.
In June 2018, Henkel opened a new 3D printing technology hub in Tallaght, Ireland. In 2018, Henkel also laid the corner stone for a new global innovation center of its Adhesive Technologies business at the company's headquarters in Düsseldorf, investing more than €130 million. The center is planned to open end of 2020.
Beauty Care
Henkel Beauty Care is one of the leading beauty businesses worldwide, serving both retail and professional markets. The Branded Consumer Goods business area (retail) is active in Hair Cosmetics, Body Care, Skin Care, and Oral Care. Among the most well-known brands of the Beauty Care are Schwarzkopf,
Dial, and Syoss. In 2017, Henkel successfully launched #mydentity hair color together with Guy Tang, a leading hairdresser and social media influencer.
In 2018, Henkel Beauty Care presented the Schwarzkopf SalonLab at CES – a digital hair salon experience using technology to customize products. The company continues to expand it's portfolio of professional beauty products, currently owning brands Alterna, Authentic Beauty Concept, Joico, Kenra, Pravana, and Sexy Hair.
Laundry and Home Care
Henkel's most famous brand is
Persil, introduced in 1907, the first commercial "self-activated" laundry detergent, which means a bubble forming bleach (
sodium perborate
Sodium perborate is chemical compound whose chemical formula may be written , , or, more properly, ·. Its name is sometimes abbreviated as PBS (not to be confused with phosphate-buffered saline).
The compound is commonly encountered in anhydr ...
) with a soap component (
silicate
In chemistry, a silicate is any member of a family of polyatomic anions consisting of silicon and oxygen, usually with the general formula , where . The family includes orthosilicate (), metasilicate (), and pyrosilicate (, ). The name is al ...
). The abbreviation of the names of the two main components perborate and silicate compose the product name. Persil is the biggest brand for Henkel's Laundry & Home Care business, generating sales of more than 1 billion euros in 2017. Today, Henkel's Laundry & Home Care product portfolio ranges from heavy-duty detergents, specialty detergents and laundry additives to dishwashing products, hard surface and WC cleaners, air fresheners and insect control products.
Other brands include
Purex
PUREX (plutonium uranium reduction extraction) is a chemical method used to purify fuel for nuclear reactors or nuclear weapons. PUREX is the ''de facto'' standard aqueous nuclear reprocessing method for the recovery of uranium and plutonium ...
washing powder and liquid laundry detergent, Sun liquid laundry detergent, Vernel/Silan
fabric softener
A fabric softener (American English) or fabric conditioner (British English) is a conditioner that is applied to laundry during the rinse cycle in a washing machine to reduce harshness in clothes that are dried in air after machine washing. In con ...
, Somat/Glist
dishwasher tablets, and Pril washing-up liquid. In the United States and Canada only (the brands elsewhere are owned by
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 drink, t ...
) All,
Wisk,
Snuggle
Snuggle is a brand of fabric softener sold by Henkel North American Consumer Goods in the United States and Canada. The brand was introduced in 1983 by Unilever. The product is available in sheets or liquid (in concentrate and ready-to-use for ...
, and
Sunlight
Sunlight is a portion of the electromagnetic radiation given off by the Sun, in particular infrared, visible, and ultraviolet light. On Earth, sunlight is scattered and filtered through Earth's atmosphere, and is obvious as daylight when t ...
detergent and fabric softener brands are also Henkel brands. The brands owned by Unilever elsewhere, plus Sun, were acquired by Henkel through its acquisition of
Sun Products
The Sun Products Corporation (now Henkel North American Consumer Goods Inc.) was a United States-based manufacturer of laundry detergent, fabric softeners, and other household care products. With annual sales of $2.0 billion, the company's brand ...
in 2016.
Persil Abaya Shampoo or Persil Black is a
liquid
A liquid is a nearly incompressible fluid that conforms to the shape of its container but retains a (nearly) constant volume independent of pressure. As such, it is one of the four fundamental states of matter (the others being solid, gas, a ...
detergent that Henkel introduced to the
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
n
market
Market is a term used to describe concepts such as:
*Market (economics), system in which parties engage in transactions according to supply and demand
*Market economy
*Marketplace, a physical marketplace or public market
Geography
*Märket, an ...
in 2007 and later to other
Gulf Cooperation Council
The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf ( ar, مجلس التعاون لدول العربية الخليج ), also known as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC; ar, مجلس التعاون الخليجي), is a regional, interg ...
region markets. The company sells the liquid as a specialist detergent for
abaya
The abaya "cloak" ( colloquially and more commonly, ar, عباية ', especially in Literary Arabic: '; plural ', '), sometimes also called an ''aba'', is a simple, loose over-garment, essentially a robe-like dress, worn by some women in par ...
s, the loose, traditionally black, robe-like garments worn by women in many
Islamic
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the mai ...
cultures.
Miss Fa Beauty Pageant
![Elena Khlibko](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/Elena_Khlibko._Miss_Fa_Beauty_Pageant_1997.jpg)
In 1993, 1994, and 1997, Henkel & Schwarzkopf organized the Miss Fa beauty pageant in Russia and
CIS
Cis or cis- may refer to:
Places
* Cis, Trentino, in Italy
* In Poland:
** Cis, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, south-central
** Cis, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, north
Math, science and biology
* cis (mathematics) (cis(''θ'')), a trigonome ...
. 1997's pageant "Miss Fa Russia &
CIS
Cis or cis- may refer to:
Places
* Cis, Trentino, in Italy
* In Poland:
** Cis, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, south-central
** Cis, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, north
Math, science and biology
* cis (mathematics) (cis(''θ'')), a trigonome ...
" was the largest, held in major cities of
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
,
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
,
Belarus
Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...
and
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...
as part of the show "World of Fantastic sensation". The 26 winners of the regional rounds participated the final in
Yalta
Yalta (: Я́лта) is a resort city on the south coast of the Crimean Peninsula surrounded by the Black Sea. It serves as the administrative center of Yalta Municipality, one of the regions within Crimea. Yalta, along with the rest of Crimea ...
, with Elena Khibliko ultimately winning the title. Sales of the Fa brand throughout Russia increased by 40% for the year, while overall sales of the company's products increased by 30%. The cost of this event is $1 million.
Controversies
Henkel sponsored two Socially Responsible Laundries in homeless shelters run by the Catholic charity Saint Brother Albert Aid Society in Poland (Gdańsk, 2020, and Wrocław, 2022). In both cases Henkel refused the blessing of the laundries by the Catholic bishops. In Wrocław the charity decided to return the equipment and materials donated by the company, and Henkel issued an apology.
See also
*
Cognis
Cognis was a worldwide supplier of specialty chemicals and nutritional ingredients, headquartered in Monheim am Rhein, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The company employs about 5,600 people and operates production or service centers in almost 3 ...
*
Henkel North American Consumer Goods
References
External links
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Manufacturing companies based in Düsseldorf
Chemical companies of Germany
Cosmetics companies of Germany
Paint manufacturers
Multinational companies headquartered in Germany
Companies established in 1876
German companies established in 1876
Manufacturing companies established in 1876
1996 initial public offerings
German brands
Companies listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange