PZ Cussons

PZ Cussons is a major British manufacturer of personal healthcare products and consumer goods. It operates worldwide, especially in Africa and Commonwealth nations. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange, and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.

PZ Cussons plc
TypePublic company
LSE: PZC
IndustryCosmetics, Soaps, Gels, Dairy Household chemicals, & Natural Oils
Founded1879 (1879)
FounderGeorge Paterson, George Zochonis
HeadquartersManchester, England
Key people
Jonathan Myers, CEO
ProductsImperial Leather, Soaps, Shampoos, Gels, Milk, olive oil, Detergents & Healthcare Products.
Revenue£689.4 million (2019)[1]
£76.5 million (2019)[1]
£25.8 million (2019)[1]
Number of employees
3,986 (2018)[1]
Websitewww.pzcussons.com

History

PZ Cussons was formed in 1975, when Paterson Zochonis took over Cussons Group Ltd. from the Cussons family, who founded Cussons in 1884.[2] The company expanded its operations into what is now Nigeria before the end of the 19th century.[2]

PZ expanded considerably during the twentieth century, acquiring factories and establishing offices in Ghana and Kenya.[2] It was one of three or four firms which commercially dominated Guinea as a colony before 1958.[3] In 1975, the company acquired Cussons Group (founded by Thomas Cussons).[2]

Later that century, more offices and factories were acquired in Asia, with PZ's first factory built in Thailand in 1986,[2] and operations expanded into Indonesia in 1988.[2] In 1993, PZ bought the state owned Pollena Wroclaw in Poland,[2] followed in 1995 by Pollena Uroda,[2] and in 2002, Paterson Zochonis plc was renamed PZ Cussons plc.[2]

In February 2004, PZ Cussons sold the 1001 Carpet Cleaner brand to the American WD-40 Company for £6.2 million.[4] In 2005, PZ Cussons closed its Nottingham factory (founded by Gerard Bros.), and relocated the operations to Thailand.[5] In August 2006, PZ Cussons announced a plan to move its remaining factory in England from Kersal to Swinton, both in the City of Salford.[6]

In January 2008, PZ Cussons acquired the Sanctuary Spa and Sanctuary products business.[7] In December 2019, Alex Kanellis stepped down from his position as PZ Cussons' CEO. Kanellis held the position since June 2006. In March 2020, Jonathan Myers was announced as the new chief executive officer, effective 1 May 2020.[8]

Operations
An Imperial Leather soap bar

PZ Cussons Group has a marketing presence in Europe, Africa and Asia.[9] PZ Cussons until recently had factories in Salford, Nigeria, Thailand, Indonesia, Australia, Greece, Kenya, and Poland. The factories in Greece and Poland, together with local commercial operations were sold in 2019 as part of an initiative to focus on core business.[10] PZ Cussons' main brand is the Imperial Leather range of soaps, bath and shower and cosmetic products.[11] PZ Cussons operates a joint venture electrical superstore in Lagos, Nigeria and also operates in Ghana.[12]

PZ Cussons' largest single market is Nigeria. This is served by the subsidiary company PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc, which employs over 3,500 people and is listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.[13]

References
  1. "Annual Report 2019" (PDF). PZ Cussons. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  2. PZ Cussons: Our history
  3. Thomas O'Toole, Historical Dictionary of Guinea, Scarecrow Press, 1978, p. 55
  4. Hall, W. (11 February 2004). "Weak dollar slows down PZ Cussons". Financial Times. London.
  5. "UK Business Park – B2B Sales Leads & Company News". ukbusinesspark.co.uk. Archived from the original on 26 February 2012. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  6. "Soap maker reveals £15m factory plans". Manchester Evening News. 2 August 2006.
  7. Cussons buys Sanctuary Spa brand for £75m Brand Republic, 30 January 2008
  8. Foy, Simon (12 December 2019). "PZ Cussons boss quits after 13 years as profits slide". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  9. PZ Cussons: Our markets Archived 15 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  10. "Profits fail to scrub up at PZ Cussons". The Manufacturer. 24 July 2012. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  11. Jones S. 17 November 2001, "Bubbly PZ washes hands of some of its imperial past" Financial Times. p. 2.
  12. "UPDATE 2-PZ Cussons boosted by strong trading in Nigeria". Reuters UK. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  13. "Nigeria". PZ Cussons. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
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