Racine-based SC Johnson plans to re-enter the industrial and institutional cleaning business after having exited it in the late 1990s.
The company, known for its household cleaning products, will begin producing products intended for cleaning at universities, schools, hospitals, business, malls and hotels.
SC Johnson chairman and chief executive officer Fisk Johnson said the company’s recent moves, including the acquisition of Steris Applied Infection Control this year and Deb Group in 2015 “gives us a lot of momentum to re-enter this space in a big way.”
The company also recently announced it reached a mutual agreement with the Diversey Care division of Sealed Air Corp. to end Sealed Air’s distribution of SC Johnson branded products to the professional market through a brand license agreement.
Johnson said the decision to bring the products back in-house also contributed to the momentum.
The company introduced a new line of professional products at a trade show in Chicago this week and Johnson said the company would bring innovation and attention to quality to the industry.
SC Johnson estimates the industrial and institutional market was a $39 billion business as of 2014 and expects it to reach $50 billion by 2020.
The company is still evaluating the impact of the decision to re-enter the market on its operations in Racine and around the world.
