Wilton, CT
203.254.6700
www.sunproductscorp.com
Sales: $2.0 billion

Sales:
$2.0 billion (estimated)

Key Personnel:
Neil P. DeFeo, chief executive officer; Kris Kelley, executive vice president and chief financial officer; Bill Littlefield, executive vice president and general manager; Bob Waldron, chief marketing officer; Gretchen Crist, senior vice president, human resources; Beth Hecht, senior vice president, general counsel and secretary; Craig Slavtcheff, senior vice president R&D, quality, regulatory; Mitch Tinnan, senior vice president manufacturing

Major Products:
Laundry detergents including All, Wisk, Sunlight, Surf, Snuggle and Sun; White Rain hair care products

New Products:
All Oxi Active, new and improved All Stain Lifter, Snuggle Exhiliration variants

Comments:
Sun Products is the No. 2 player in the U.S. laundry category (behind P&G) and is owned by Vestar Capital Partners, a private equity group. Moreover, Sun is the largest private label laundry detergent manufacturer in the world.

During the recession, many consumers traded down to private label to save some money, but that doesn’t mean shoppers are willing to skimp on innovation. That’s why Sun opened a new North American Technology Center in Trumbull, CT in November. The center features laboratories, packaging design facilities, a laundry center and ideation rooms that enable Sun employees to interact with consumers and suppliers.

Now, Sun is investing nearly $11 million to build a 1.4 million-square-foot distribution center in Bowling Green, KY.