Henkel Corporation, doing business as Henkel North American Consumer Goods, and formerly The Dial Corporation, is an American company based 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 ...
. It is a manufacturer of
personal care
Personal care or toiletries are consumer products used in personal hygiene, personal grooming or for beautification.
Products
Personal care includes products as diverse as cleansing pads, colognes, cotton swabs, cotton pads, deodorant, eye lin ...
and household cleaning products, and is a subsidiary of the
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
company
Henkel
AG & Co. KGaA, commonly known as Henkel, is a German multinational chemical and consumer goods company headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany. It is active in both the consumer and industrial sectors. Founded in 1876, the DAX company is organi ...
AG & Co. KGaA (Henkel Consumer Goods Inc.).
Dial began as a brand of
deodorant
A deodorant is a substance applied to the body to prevent or mask body odor due to bacterial breakdown of perspiration or vaginal secretions, for example in the armpits, groin, or feet. A subclass of deodorants, called antiperspirants, prevents s ...
soap manufactured by
Armour and Company
Armour & Company was an American company and was one of the five leading firms in the meat packing industry. It was founded in Chicago, in 1867, by the Armour brothers led by Philip Danforth Armour. By 1880, the company had become Chicago's most ...
, a
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
, meatpacking firm, and through a series of mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, emerged by the 2000s as a stand-alone personal-care and household-cleaning products company. Henkel acquired The Dial Corporation in 2004.
Dial soap remains one of the company's major brands.
History
Dial was the first
antibacterial
An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used in the treatment and prevention of ...
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 ...
introduced in the United States. It was developed by
chemists
A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties. Chemists carefully describe th ...
from
Armour and Company
Armour & Company was an American company and was one of the five leading firms in the meat packing industry. It was founded in Chicago, in 1867, by the Armour brothers led by Philip Danforth Armour. By 1880, the company had become Chicago's most ...
and introduced in the Chicago market in 1948. Armour had been producing soap since 1888, first as "Armour Family Soap".
Armour's soap was made from
tallow
Tallow is a rendering (industrial), rendered form of beef or mutton fat, primarily made up of triglycerides.
In industry, tallow is not strictly defined as beef or mutton fat. In this context, tallow is animal fat that conforms to certain techn ...
, a by-product of the meat production process. The name Dial was chosen because the soap advertised "'round-the-clock" protection against the
odor
An odor (American English) or odour (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English; American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, see spelling differences) is caused by one or more volatilized chemical compounds ...
caused by
perspiration
Perspiration, also known as sweating, is the production of fluids secreted by the sweat glands in the skin of mammals.
Two types of sweat glands can be found in humans: eccrine glands and apocrine glands. The eccrine sweat glands are distrib ...
. Demand for this new soap exceeded expectations due to its deodorant effectiveness, its non-medicinal clover-like smell and bright golden yellow color. The brand was rolled out nationally in 1949, and in time became the leading deodorant soap brand in the United States.
Armour-Dial, Inc. (1967–1985)
Because of the popularity and strong sales of Dial soap, fueled by magazine, radio, and television advertising, Armour's consumer products business was incorporated as Armour-Dial, Inc. in 1967. In 1970,
The Greyhound Corporation
Viad Corp provides experiential leisure travel and face-to-face events in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, and the United Arab Emirates via two divsions: GES and Pursuit.
Pursuit (formed in 2017) includes travel attractio ...
purchased Armour and Company (including Armour-Dial, Inc.) for $400 million as part of a diversification strategy and relocated its headquarters to
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...
the following year.
James F. Phillips
James F. Phillips (November 20, 1930 – October 3, 2001) was an American schoolteacher and environmental activist who became known in the Chicago area during the 1960s for his environmental direct action under the pseudonym The Fox.
Biograph ...
(November 20, 1930 – October 3, 2001) was an American
environmental
A biophysical environment is a biotic and abiotic surrounding of an organism or population, and consequently includes the factors that have an influence in their survival, development, and evolution. A biophysical environment can vary in scale f ...
activist
Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived greater good. Forms of activism range fro ...
known in the
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
area during the 1960s for his environmental
direct action
Direct action originated as a political activist term for economic and political acts in which the actors use their power (e.g. economic or physical) to directly reach certain goals of interest, in contrast to those actions that appeal to oth ...
under the pseudonym The Fox. Phillips discovered Armour Dial (
Henkel 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 ...
) had been polluting Mill Creek which emptied into the
Fox River, which violated a 1962 law that limited the amount of chemicals companies could dump into the surrounding water. Phillips created stickers issuing warnings that read "Armour Dial Kills our Water" or "Armour Dial Pollutes our air". He organized a group to travel to supermarkets around the United States and put these stickers on bars of Dial soap.
Mike Royko, a Pulitzer Prize winning Chicago newspaper columnist, called Phillips's attack "the most ambitious anti
pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, the ...
prank of his colorful career." The prank was so successful, it started an independent boycott of all Armour-Dial products. Phillips's seven-year battle with Armour Dial led to the state of Illinois suing Armour Dial's Montgomery plant for violating Illinois pollution standards.
The Dial Corporation (1985–1995)
In 1985 Greyhound acquired the consumer products business of
Purex Industries, Inc. which was combined with Armour-Dial to form The Dial Corporation.
In 1988, Greyhound acquired the
Boraxo
20 Mule Team Borax is a brand of cleaner manufactured in the United States by The Dial Corporation, a subsidiary of Henkel.Hildebrand, G. H. (1982) "Borax Pioneer: Francis Marion Smith." San Diego: Howell-North Books. The product primarily co ...
, Borateem and
20 Mule Team Borax brands from
U.S. Borax
The Pacific Coast Borax Company (PCB) was a United States mining company founded in 1890 by the American borax magnate Francis Smith, the "Borax King".
History
The roots of the Pacific Coast Borax Company lie in Mineral County, Nevada, east of ...
.
To reflect the parent company's new focus after the sale of
Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc. (commonly known as simply Greyhound) operates the largest intercity bus service in North America, including Greyhound Mexico. It also operates charter bus services, Amtrak Thruway services, commuter bus services, and pac ...
, Greyhound was renamed Greyhound Dial Corporation in 1990 and renamed again, to The Dial Corp the following year. After the parent company was renamed The Dial Corp, the Dial consumer business was known as The Dial Corp Consumer Products Group.
Greyhound also acquired
Breck Shampoo
Breck Shampoo is an American brand of shampoo that is also known for its Breck Girls advertising campaign.
History
In 1930, Dr. John H. Breck, Sr. (June 5, 1877 – February 1965) of Springfield, Massachusetts, founded Breck Shampoo. Adver ...
from Shulton in 1990 and
Renuzit
Renuzit is an American brand of air fresheners produced by Henkel North American Consumer Goods. The Renuzit brand once included a solvent-based spot remover and cleaner as well.
History
Renuzit cleaning fluid was originally produced by the Rad ...
from
S. C. Johnson & Son in 1993.
The new Dial Corporation (1996–2017)
In late 1995, parent company The Dial Corp announced its intention to split the company and spin off the Dial consumer products business. After the spin off, Dial's now former parent company was renamed
Viad Corp
Viad Corp provides experiential leisure travel and face-to-face events in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, and the United Arab Emirates via two divsions: GES and Pursuit.
Pursuit (formed in 2017) includes travel attractio ...
, consisting of the service businesses. The Dial consumer business was reborn as the new Dial Corporation, relocating its corporate offices to
Scottsdale, Arizona
, settlement_type = City
, named_for = Winfield Scott
, image_skyline =
, image_seal = Seal of Scottsdale (Arizona).svg
, image_blank_emblem = City of Scottsdale Script Logo.svg
, nick ...
, adjacent to its long-time research and development facility. Under new CEO, Malcolm Jozoff, a former
P&G executive, the new Dial Corporation underwent major layoffs in the fall of 1996 and a series of financially disastrous acquisitions the following four years.
In 1997, Dial sold the
Brillo business to
Church & Dwight
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. It is the parent company of well-known brands ...
.
Between 1999 and 2000, Dial formed two joint-ventures with German company
Henkel
AG & Co. KGaA, commonly known as Henkel, is a German multinational chemical and consumer goods company headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany. It is active in both the consumer and industrial sectors. Founded in 1876, the DAX company is organi ...
. The first, Dial/Henkel LLC, was established in 1999 which introduced Purex Advanced laundry detergent and acquired Custom Cleaner home dry cleaning products. The second joint venture company, Dial/Henkel Mexico S.A. de C.V. was established for operations in
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
. By 2002, both ventures were discontinued because of losses and Dial sold its stake in the Mexico venture to Henkel.
In 2000, Jozoff resigned and was replaced by Herbert Baum with a mandate from the board of directors to find a suitable buyer for the company. That same year, Dial acquired
Coast soap and Zout stain remover.
In December 2003, Dial was acquired by Henkel for $2.9 billion. As a consequence of Henkel's acquisition of Dial, Henkel divested its 29% stake 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 ...
for $2.84 billion in cash and assets, which included the Soft Scrub and Combat brands.
In 2006, Dial acquired the
Right Guard
Right Guard is an American brand of deodorant and shower gel that is manufactured and sold by Thriving Brands LLC. It is the second largest brand in the male deodorant category in the United States. Right Guard was introduced in 1960 by The Gill ...
, Soft & Dri and
Dry Idea
Dry Idea is an American brand of antiperspirant manufactured and sold by Thriving Brands LLC. Introduced in 1978 by Gillette Company, Dry Idea was acquired by The Dial Corporation along with the Soft & Dri and Right Guard brands in 2006 for $420 ...
deodorant brands from Procter & Gamble for $420 million.
On March 1, 2006, Dial completed the sale of its food business for $183 million to
Pinnacle Foods
Pinnacle Foods, Inc., is a packaged foods company headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey, that specializes in shelf-stable and frozen foods. The company became a subsidiary of Conagra Brands on October 26, 2018.
History
The company was foun ...
. The food business produces shelf-stable canned meat products (such as
potted meat
Potted meat is a form of traditional food preservation in which hot cooked meat is placed in a pot, tightly packed to exclude air, and then covered with hot fat. As the fat cools, it hardens and forms an airtight seal, preventing some spoilage by ...
and
Vienna sausage
A Vienna sausage (german: Wiener Würstchen, Wiener; Viennese/Austrian German: ''Frankfurter Würstel'' or ''Würstl''; Swiss German: ''Wienerli''; Swabian: ''Wienerle'' or ''Saitenwurst'') is a thin parboiled sausage traditionally made of p ...
s) and ready meals under the Armour Star brand, had sales of approximately $230 million in fiscal 2005.
In 2012, Henkel sold Dial's Coast, Pure & Natural and Soft & Dri brands to
Brynwood Partners
Brynwood Partners is an American private equity investment firm focused on leveraged buyout and other control investments.
Since its founding in 1984, the firm, headquartered in Greenwich, Connecticut, has raised five private equity fund, invest ...
' High Ridge Brands for an undisclosed amount.
In 2016, Henkel acquired laundry detergent manufacturer
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 $3.6 billion.
In July 2017, Dial relocated its headquarters from
Scottsdale, Arizona
, settlement_type = City
, named_for = Winfield Scott
, image_skyline =
, image_seal = Seal of Scottsdale (Arizona).svg
, image_blank_emblem = City of Scottsdale Script Logo.svg
, nick ...
to
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 ...
in order to consolidate its operations with Sun Products and be closer to parent Henkel's North American headquarters (Henkel Corporation) in
Rocky Hill, Connecticut
Rocky Hill is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 20,845 at the 2020 census. It was originally land of the Wangunks (a tribe of Native Americans). Europeans began to settle the area of Rocky Hill in 1650, as ...
. After consolidation, the business was renamed Henkel North American Consumer Goods in 2018.
Henkel Corporation (2018–present)
In June 2021, Henkel sold the
Right Guard
Right Guard is an American brand of deodorant and shower gel that is manufactured and sold by Thriving Brands LLC. It is the second largest brand in the male deodorant category in the United States. Right Guard was introduced in 1960 by The Gill ...
and
Dry Idea
Dry Idea is an American brand of antiperspirant manufactured and sold by Thriving Brands LLC. Introduced in 1978 by Gillette Company, Dry Idea was acquired by The Dial Corporation along with the Soft & Dri and Right Guard brands in 2006 for $420 ...
deodorant brands to Thriving Brands LLC.
Brands
Henkel's Consumer Goods brands include:
* All (laundry detergent)
*
Boraxo (cleaning products)
*
Breck (hair care)
* Combat (pest control)
*
Dial (soap)
Dial is an American brand of soap and body wash manufactured by Henkel North American Consumer Goods, the American subsidiary of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA. It was the world's first antibacterial soap.
History
Dial was developed by a chemist from Ar ...
* GLISS (hair care)
* göt2b (hair care)
*
Persil (laundry detergent)
*
Purex (laundry detergent)
Purex is a brand of laundry detergent and laundry-related products manufactured by Henkel North American Consumer Goods and marketed in the United States and Canada. Purex is one of the most widely used laundry detergents in North America. Its ...
*
Renuzit (air freshener)
* Schwarzkopf (hair care)
* Soft Scrub (cleaning products)
* Smooth n' Shine (hair care)
*
Snuggle (fabric softner)
*
Sunlight (cleaning products)
*
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 ...
(cleaning products)
*
Surf (laundry detergent) (North America)
* Tone (body soap)
*
20 Mule Team Borax (cleaning products)
References
External links
Official website
{{Henkel
Companies based in Stamford, Connecticut
Health care brands
Henkel brands
Manufacturing companies based in Connecticut
Manufacturing companies established in 1888
American subsidiaries of foreign companies
2004 mergers and acquisitions