Racine-based SC Johnson has acquired HomeBrands A.S. from Unilever CR, spol. s r.o., the Czech subsidiary of multinational consumer product manufacturer Unilever N.V.
SC Johnson is a leading manufacturer of household cleaning, home storage, air care, pest control and shoe care products with about 13,000 employees worldwide. Its brands include Glade, Kiwi, OFF!, Windex and Ziploc. It is a private, family-owned company that does not disclose details of its transactions.
The acquisition of HomeBrands will expand SC Johnson’s geographic reach in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and the Baltics with home cleaning, pest control and air care brands including Biolit insecticides, Diffusil repellents, Lynn household cleaners and Citresin air fresheners.
Unilever acquired the trademarks, intellectual property and a small number of employees of HomeBrands from Czech household care products manufacturer Bochemie Group in 2013. The products continued to be manufactured under contract by Bochemie at its Bohumin, Czech Republic facility.
“Adding HomeBrands to SC Johnson’s existing portfolio will complement our leading brands like Raid, OFF!, and Glade,” said Fisk Johnson, chairman and chief executive officer of SC Johnson. “These brands will enable us to expand our presence in the Czech Republic.”
SC Johnson also announced last month that it has signed a binding offer to acquire United Kingdom-based Deb Group, which manufactures hygiene and skin care systems for the industrial, commercial, health care and food markets.
