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Spotless Group

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Spotless Group
IndustryConsumer Products
Founded2005; 19 years ago (2005)
HeadquartersParis, France
ProductsColour Catcher, Keep it White, Vim, Ballerina, Vigor, Eparcyl, Punch, Dylon
ParentHenkel
Websitewww.spotlessgroup.eu

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.

Operations

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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

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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

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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

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  1. ^ Anne-Sylvaine Chassany (23 September 2008). "Axa Said to Be Seeking Sale of Spotless Group for $1 Billion". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
  2. ^ http://www.spotlessgroup.eu/#management Spotless.eu - Management - retrieved: July 1, 2009
  3. ^ http://www.spotlessgroup.eu/#history Spotlessgroup.eu - History - retrieved: July 1, 2009
  4. ^ "Eparcyl S.A." businessweek.com. Archived from the original on September 28, 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
  5. ^ "Snapshot 2008". Spotlessgroup.eu. Retrieved 1 July 2009.
  6. ^ Espana, Zaida (17 February 2010). "RLPC-BC Partners buys majority stake in Spotless Group". Reuters.com. Retrieved 17 February 2010.
  7. ^ Henkel to acquire Spotless Group for 940 million euros Henkel corporate website, 4 June 2014. Retrieved: 31 May 2015.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ Avis de projet de fusion (Notice of Merger), Spotless Group corporate website, 28 May 2015. Retrieved: 31 May 2015.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ Lord Sheraton Caretaker Furniture Polish Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine