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PZ Cussons

PZ Cussons plc is a major British manufacturer of personal healthcare products and consumer goods. It operates worldwide, especially in nations in Africa, and the Commonwealth. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange.

History

Paterson Zochonis (PZ) (1884–1929)

The company was formed by George Zochonis and George Paterson as a commodity trading business in the Sierra Leone Colony and Protectorate under the name Paterson Zochonis (PZ) in 1884.[2] It expanded its operations into what is now Nigeria before the end of the nineteenth century.[2]

PZ (1929–1951)

Paterson Zochonis expanded considerably under Constantine Zochonis between 1929 and 1951, when as chairman he acquired factories and established offices in Ghana and Kenya. Under the management of C.P. Zochonis, PZ invested in its host countries by opening factories and shops there.[3] In 1948, PZ took over a Nigerian soap manufacturer.[4] "This proved to be a landmark in the company's history, as soap was to become a major part of its trade". However, under the management of C.P. Zochonis, the company allowed colonial attitudes to affect local African peoples.[5][6][7]

PZ and PZ Cussons (1951–2006)

From 1951, Alexander Loupos, cousin of Constantine Zochonis, took over PZ as chairman. John Zochonis became chairman in the 1970s.[8] Paterson Zochonis continued to expand under John Zochonis,[9][10] It was one of three or four firms which commercially dominated Guinea as a colony before 1958.[11]

The company acquired Cussons Group (founded by Thomas Cussons) from the Cussons family in 1975.[2] Offices and factories were established in Thailand and Indonesia in 1986 and 1988 respectively.[12]

The company bought the state owned Pollena Wroclaw in Poland in 1993, followed in 1995 by Pollena Uroda, and in 2002, Paterson Zochonis plc was renamed PZ Cussons plc.[2] PZ Cussons sold the brand 1001 Carpet Cleaner in February 2004 to the American WD40 Company for £6.2 million.[13] PZ Cussons closed its factory in Nottingham in February 2005 (founded by Gerard Bros.) and relocated the operations to Thailand.[14][15]

PZ (from 2006)

PZ Cussons announced new plans in August 2006 to move its remaining factory in England from Kersal to Swinton, both in the City of Salford.[16]

PZ Cussons acquired the Sanctuary Spa and Sanctuary products business in January 2008 for £75 million.[17] Alex Kanellis, who had been chief executive officer since June 2006, stepped down from that position in December 2019. The company announced that Jonathan Myers would be the new chief executive officer effective from 1 May 2020.[18]

Operations

PZ Cussons Group has a marketing presence in Europe, Africa and Asia.[19]

PZ Cussons until recently had factories in Salford, Nigeria, Thailand, Indonesia, Australia, Greece, Kenya, and Poland. The factories in Greece and Poland, together with local commercial operations were sold in the summer of 2012 as part of an initiative to focus on core business.[20]

PZ Cussons' main brand is the Imperial Leather range of soaps, bath and shower and cosmetic products.[21] PZ Cussons operates a joint venture electrical superstore, Haier Thermocool, in Lagos, Nigeria and also operates in Ghana.[22] The largest single market for PZ Cussons is Nigeria. This is served by the subsidiary company PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc, which employs over 3,500 people and is listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.[23]

External links

References

  1. Annual Report 2025 PZ Cussons, retrieved 4 March 2026^
  2. PZ Cussons: Our History 15 February 2022, retrieved 15 February 2022^
  3. Mary M. Crossan. Strategic Management: a Canadian casebook Prentice Hall, 2000, retrieved 24 May 2022^
  4. Paterson, Zochonis & Company Limited The Times (London, England), 23 November 1953, retrieved 14 June 2022^
  5. Nii-K. Plange. The colonial state of northern Ghana, the political economy of pacification Review of African Political Economy, December 1984^
  6. Simon Heap. 'Jaguda boys': pickpocketing in Ibadan, 1930-60 Urban History, December 1997^
  7. A.G. Adebayo. The production and export of hides and skins in colonial and northern Nigeria 1900-1945 The Journal of African History, 1992^
  8. Sir John Zochonis Manchester Evening News, 15 February 2007, retrieved 12 April 2022^
  9. David J. Jeremy. Zochonis, Sir John Basil 1 January 2017, retrieved 12 April 2022^
  10. Paterson Zochonis gracesguide.co.uk, Grace's Guide to British Industrial History, 7 May 2021, retrieved 12 April 2022^
  11. Thomas O'Toole, Historical Dictionary of Guinea, Scarecrow Press, 1978, p. 55^
  12. Annual Report 2009 PZ Cussons, retrieved 18 February 2022^
  13. Hall, W. (11 February 2004). "Weak dollar slows down PZ Cussons". Financial Times. London.^
  14. UK Business Park – B2B Sales Leads & Company News ukbusinesspark.co.uk, retrieved 31 March 2015^
  15. Cussons closes Nottingham plant The Guardian, 9 February 2005, retrieved 15 April 2022^
  16. Soap maker reveals £15m factory plans Manchester Evening News, 2 August 2006, retrieved 17 November 2021^
  17. Cussons buys Sanctuary Spa brand for £75m brandrepublic.com, 30 January 2008, retrieved 17 November 2021^
  18. Simon Foy. PZ Cussons boss quits after 13 years as profits slide The Telegraph, 12 December 2019, retrieved 17 February 2020^
  19. PZ Cussons: Our Markets pzcussons.com, 15 September 2008, retrieved 17 November 2021^
  20. Profits fail to scrub up at PZ Cussons The Manufacturer, 24 July 2012, retrieved 10 April 2016^
  21. Jones S. 17 November 2001, "Bubbly PZ washes hands of some of its imperial past" Financial Times. London. p. 2.^
  22. UPDATE 2-PZ Cussons boosted by strong trading in Nigeria 29 July 2008, retrieved 31 March 2015^
  23. Nigeria PZ Cussons, retrieved 11 January 2021^