Spotless Group
Spotless Group SAS was a pan-European manufacturer of insect control and laundry products, based in Paris, France. In 2015, it became part of Germany's Henkel group.
| Industry | Consumer Products |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2005 |
| Headquarters | Paris, France |
| Products | Colour Catcher, Keep it White, Vim, Ballerina, Vigor, Eparcyl, Punch, Dylon |
| Parent | Henkel |
| Website | www.spotlessgroup.eu |
Operations
Spotless Group was established by AXA Private Equity (renamed Ardian in 2013) in 2005, upon AXAs acquisition of French homecare company Eau Ecarlate.[1] The incumbent CEO of Eau Ecarlate, Pierre le Tanneur, assumed the presidency of Spotless.[2]
In 2006, the second year of its existence, Spotless Group acquired Bologna-based homecare company Guaber and Irish shoe-care manufacturer Punch Industries. The group made further acquisitions in 2007, of sewerage disposal company Eparcyl and the Unilever brand Ballerina.[3][4] In 2008, the company purchased Dylon International, the UK's leading dye producer, from the Mayborn Group. Spotless Group owns a total of 18 brands as of 2008.[5]
In 2010, AXA Private Equity (renamed Ardian in 2013) sold its 65.6% stake in Spotless Group to British private-equity company BC Partners for a reported €600 million, according to Reuters.[6]
In 2014,[7] Germany's Henkel, a specialist in laundry products, offered to buy Spotless for 940 million Euros (about $1.3 billion) in cash. “By acquiring the Spotless Group, we will strengthen our market position and enter highly profitable growth segments,” Henkel chief executive Kasper Rorsted told reporters.[8] The deal, which was subject to approval from antitrust authorities, was completed in May 2015.[9] The deal would slightly increase Henkel's share of the $82 billion global laundry care market to 8.7%, still well behind Procter & Gamble's 26.6% and the 14.8% market share held by Unilever, which sells Persil detergent - a Henkel brand - in some markets.[10]
Subsidiaries
Spotless Group had subsidiaries in 8 European Countries:
- Guaber, Italy
- Spotless Hungary, Hungary
- Punch Industries, Ireland
- Eau Ecarlate, France
- Spotless UK, United Kingdom
- Spotless Benelux, Netherlands
- Spotless Iberia, Spain
- Boston Scandinavia, Sweden
Products
Spotless Group owned the brand Colour Catcher, which is the market leader in washing machine colour protection. Other Spotless Group brands include:
- Punch
- Vim
- Ballerina
- Eparcyl
- Dylon
- Vigor
- Boston
- Punch
- Fito
- Bloom
- Cucal
- Vapona
- Catch
- Dum Dum
- Tupic
- Carcomin
- Zensect
- Globol
- Tabard
- Iba
- Dr.Optic
- Lord Sheraton furniture polish range (manufactured in San Marino).[11]
Notes and references
- Anne-Sylvaine Chassany (23 September 2008). "Axa Said to Be Seeking Sale of Spotless Group for $1 Billion". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
- http://www.spotlessgroup.eu/#management Spotless.eu - Management - retrieved: July 1, 2009
- http://www.spotlessgroup.eu/#history Spotlessgroup.eu - History - retrieved: July 1, 2009
- Businessweek staff (n.d.). "Eparcyl S.A." businessweek.com. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
- "Snapshot 2008". Spotlessgroup.eu. Retrieved 1 July 2009.
- Espana, Zaida (17 February 2010). "RLPC-BC Partners buys majority stake in Spotless Group". Reuters.com. Retrieved 17 February 2010.
- Henkel to acquire Spotless Group for 940 million euros Henkel corporate website, 4 June 2014. Retrieved: 31 May 2015.
- Henkel Accelerates M&A Pace With $1.3 Billion Spotless Deal, Alex Webb, Bloomberg news agency, New York, 4 June 2014. Retrieved: 31 May 2015.
- Avis de projet de fusion (Notice of Merger), Spotless Group corporate website, 28 May 2015. Retrieved: 31 May 2015.
- Germany's Henkel expands laundry brands with $1.3 billion French deal, Victoria Bryan and Martinne Geller, Reuters news agency, 5 June 2014. Retrieved: 31 May 2015.