Henkel
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, headquartered in Düsseldorf-Holthausen, is a publicly listed German company in the consumer goods and adhesive industries, operating global brands and technologies in Consumer Brands (laundry & home care, hair care) and Adhesive Technologies (adhesives). In fiscal year 2024, Henkel generated revenue of approximately €21.586 billion and operating profit of €2.831 billion. The company employs 47,150 people across 75 countries.[1]
History
In 1876, Friedrich Karl Henkel (known as Fritz Henkel) founded Henkel & Cie in Aachen, producing a laundry detergent powder based on water glass called "Universal Washing Powder". Seeking better logistics, he relocated to Düsseldorf in 1878 and launched "Henkel’s Bleaching Soda" in packaged form, a market first. Production outgrew rented facilities, leading to a move to Düsseldorf-Holthausen in 1900, where the headquarters remain.[2]
In 1903, Schwarzkopf introduced the first hair washing powder in Germany. In 1906, Cordes & Co, a specialist in adhesives, was founded in Minden and acquired by Henkel in 1970. In June 1907, Henkel launched Persil, advertised as the first self-acting detergent. Subsequent innovations included the rinse agent Sil (1918) and the scouring powder Ata (1920).
In 1921, a modern detergent plant opened in Genthin (later expropriated in 1945 and returned to Henkel in 1990). Adhesive production for internal use began in 1922; in 1929, the P3 industrial cleaner was marketed.[3]
In 1930, Hugo Henkel became sole leader and joined the Nazi Party in 1933, with the company later designated a model Nazi enterprise. Factories in Europe were seized during WWII; forced labor was used, and three workers died at Düsseldorf in 1944. U.S. forces occupied the plant in April 1945, allowing limited production from July 1945.[4]
After the war, Henkel expanded its product range: Poly Color hair dye (1947), Pril dishwashing powder (1951), Fa soap (1954), Somat dishwasher cleaner (1962), and the Pritt glue stick (1969). The company went public as an AG & Co. KGaA in 1985.
Major acquisitions include: Beecham’s construction chemicals (1986), Loctite (1997), Dial Corporation (2004), National Starch (2008), Sun Products (2016), and others. The Cypress acquisition in 1989 and subsequent divestitures also shaped its portfolio. Carsten Knobel became CEO on 1 January 2020.[5]
In 2022, Henkel consolidated its Laundry & Home Care and Beauty Care segments. Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Henkel suspended advertising in Russia in March and fully exited its Russian business by April 2022, transferring some operations to local investors in 2023.[6]
Henkel converted to a KGaA in 1975, listing preferred shares in 1985. As of 2018, the company has approximately 260 million common shares and 178 million preferred shares, with 61.2% of common shares held by the Henkel family under a shareholders’ agreement; the rest are free float. Henkel has been continuously listed in the DAX since 1 July 1988.
Financial figures
| Year | Revenue (EUR million) | EBIT (EUR million) | Net profit (EUR million) | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 9,082 | 734 | 426 | 47,362 |
| 2002 | 9,656 | 664 | 431 | 47,203 |
| 2003 | 9,436 | 768 | 530 | 48,328 |
| 2004 | 10,592 | 808 | 551 | 49,947 |
| 2005 | 11,974 | 1,042 | 770 | 51,724 |
| 2006 | 12,740 | 1,176 | 871 | 51,716 |
| 2007 | 13,074 | 1,250 | 941 | 52,303 |
| 2008 | 14,131 | 1,627 | 1,233 | 55,513 |
| 2009 | 13,573 | 885 | 628 | 51,361 |
| 2010 | 15,092 | 1,552 | 1,143 | 48,141 |
| 2011 | 15,605 | 1,610 | 1,191 | 47,265 |
| 2012 | 16,510 | 2,058 | 1,556 | 46,610 |
| 2013 | 16,355 | 2,172 | 1,625 | 46,850 |
| 2014 | 16,428 | 2,195 | 1,662 | 49,750 |
| 2015 | 18,089 | 2,645 | 1,968 | 49,450 |
| 2016 | 18,714 | 2,775 | 2,093 | 51,350 |
| 2017 | 20,029 | 3,055 | 2,541 | 53,700 |
| 2018 | 19,899 | 3,116 | 2,330 | 53,450 |
| 2019 | 20,114 | 2,899 | 2,103 | 52,650 |
| 2020 | 19,250 | 2,019 | 1,424 | 52,950 |
| 2021 | 20,066 | 2,213 | 1,629 | 52,450 |
| 2022 | 22,397 | 1,810 | 1,253 | 51,200 |
| 2023 | 21,514 | 2,011 | 1,340 | 47,750 |
| 2024 | 21,586 | 2,831 | 2,032 | 47,150 |
Brands
The Consumer Brands division markets laundry and home care brands such as Persil, Persil Power, Dalli, Dial, Purex, White King, Perwoll, Fewa, Spee, Dixan, Vernel, Silan, Somat, Bref, and Love Nature; hair care brands include Schwarzkopf, Syoss, Fa, Schauma, Taft, and Gliss.[7]
Adhesive Technologies offers industrial and consumer adhesives under brands Loctite, Bonderite, Technomelt, Teroson, Aquence, Pritt, Pattex, Ceresit, Metylan, Sista, and Tangit.[8]
Sustainability
Henkel introduced company-wide environmental policies in 1982 and published annual sustainability reports since 1992. It has been recognized among the world’s 100 most sustainable companies by Corporate Knights and pioneered industrial waste heat integration into Düsseldorf’s district heating network. In 2024, Henkel became the first DAX company to offer fully paid eight-week parental leave for both parents.[9]
Criticism
Cartel allegations
Between 2002 and 2005, Henkel cooperated with authorities in investigations of price-fixing in laundry detergents and dishwasher tabs in Europe and faced no fines due to full cooperation.[10]
EEG surcharge avoidance
Henkel used a leasing model to avoid German renewable energy levies, drawing criticism for exploiting legal loopholes.[11]
Related topics
- Gerda Henkel Foundation
- Dr.-Jost-Henkel Foundation
- Henkel family genealogy
Literature
- Feldenkirchen, Wilfried; Hilger, Susanne (eds.), "People and Brands: 125 Years of Henkel, 1876–2001", Henkel KGaA, Düsseldorf, 2001.
- Kaiser, Bernd, "Raw Material Procurement Strategies of International Industrial Companies: The Case of Henkel Group", Dissertation, Nuremberg, 2009.
External links
- https://www.henkel.de/
- https://www.sustainability-index.com/
- Walter Buschmann, "Henkel: Factory and Architectural History", rheinische-industriekultur.de