Of course, there’s been plenty of acquisition activity on the personal care side of the business as well. For the past couple of years, Sara Lee has been cutting its exposure to household and personal care by selling such well-known brands as Ambi-Pur and Sanex—all in an effort to concentrate on its core food business. But as we went to press, Sara Lee was said to be an acquisition target of Smithfield Foods Inc., owner of the world’s biggest hog slaughterhouse. Smithfield execs are said to be licking their chops over the thought of adding brands like Jimmy Dean, Hillshire Farm and Ball Park to their cupboard.
But enough about cold cuts…let’s get back to cosmetics and personal care. The Top 50, our annual look at the leading US companies in the household and personal products industry, has been transformed by acquisitions such as Unilever’s $3.7 billion acquisition of Alberto-Culver, Sanofi’s purchase of Chattem for $1.9 billion and Coty’s estimated $1 billion purchase of OPI. At the same time, several brands have changed hands; such as Combe’s multi-brand sale to Reckitt Benckiser and Blistex.
Bigger deals may be on the horizon. Just last month, rumors were floating around the internet about a possible (and preposterous) acquisition of Unilever by P&G! To keep up with the tips, trends and takeovers, keep reading Happi and Happi.com. To catch up on what’s happened in the past 12 months or so in our industry, take a look at The Top 50 on the following pages. Finally, to learn more about the multibillion companies in our industry with headquarters outside the US, firms such as L’Oréal, Shiseido and, of course, Unilever, be sure to read The International Top 30, which is published next month.
The Top 50
1. Procter & Gamble Cincinnati, OH $64.6 billion
2. Colgate-Palmolive New York, NY $13.3 billion
3. SC Johnson Racine, WI $8.8 billion
4. Avon New York, NY $7.7 billion
5. Estée Lauder New York, NY $7.7 billion
6. Johnson & Johnson New Brunswick, NJ $7.2 billion
7. Ecolab St. Paul, MN $5.7 billion
9. Coty New York, NY $3.8 billion
10. Diversey Sturtevant, WI $3.1 billion
11. Limited Brands Columbus, OH $2.7 billion
12. Clorox Oakland, CA $2.6 billion
13. Mary Kay Addison, TX $2.5 billion
14. Church & Dwight Princeton, NJ $2.1 billion
15. Sun Products Wilton, CT $2.0 billion
16. Alberto-Culver Melrose, IL $1.5 billion
17. Revlon New York, NY $1.3 billion
18. Elizabeth Arden Miramar, FL $1.1 billion
18 Guthy-Renker Palm Desert, CA $1.1 billion
20. Nu Skin Provo, UT $914 million
21. Blyth Greenwich, CT $900 million
22. Tupperware Orlando, FL $737 million
23. Yankee Candle Deerfield, MA $734 million
24. John Paul Mitchell Systems Beverly Hills, CA $590 million
25. Merck Whitehouse Station, NJ $580 million
26. Zep Atlanta, GA $568 million
27. Jafra Westlake, CA $521 million
28. Energizer St. Louis, MO $460 million
28. Inter Parfums New York, NY $460 million
30. Markwins City of Industry, CA $450 million
31. Shaklee Pleasanton, CA $350 million
32. Prestige Brands Irvington, NY $336 million
32. Chattem Chattanooga, TN $336 million
34. WD-40 San Diego, CA $321 million
35. Combe White Plains, NY $250 million
36. American International Los Angeles, CA $200 million
36. Philosophy Phoenix, AZ $200 million
38. Seventh Generation Burlington, VT $150 million
39. Turtle Wax Willowbrook, IL $147 million
40. Phoenix Brands Stamford, CT $140 million
41. Hydroxatone Jersey City, NJ $139 million
42. Gojo Akron, OH $135 million
43. Herbalife Los Angeles, CA $127 million
44. Dermalogica Carson, CA $125 million
45. Parlux Fort Lauderdale, FL $123 million
46. Spartan Maumee, OH $118 million
47. Obagi Long Beach, CA $112 million
48. Method San Francisco, CA $110 million
49. Murad El Segundo, CA $106 million
50. State Cleveland, OH $105 million