Henkel, the owner of the Schwarzkopf haircare range, Persil detergent, and various well-known adhesive brands, has acquired French firm Swania SAS from investment company Milestone and individual shareholders.
The Germany-based company stated that the deal would boost its position in the market for sustainable laundry and home care products, with a “highly complementary portfolio in very attractive and profitable market segments”.
Swania is claimed to be the fastest-growing French independent player in the ecological home care market. Its portfolio includes sustainable brand Maison Verte, which accounts for more than 60% of total sales and includes products for laundry and home care as well as for dishwashing. The vegan brand YOU is also part of the company’s range, alongside more traditional brands Baranne and O’Cedar. Swania generated sales of around €40m last year.
“In line with our strategic agenda for purposeful growth we aim to create competitive edge through embedding sustainability into our businesses,” said Henkel CEO Carsten Knobel.
“Through this acquisition, we are adding attractive brands with a strong sustainability performance and compelling growth opportunities to the portfolio of our laundry and home care business.”
Bruno Piacenza, Executive VP for Laundry & Home Care at Henkel, added: “We are excited about the opportunity to add the Swania brands to our Laundry & Home Care business. The brands are fast-growing, and the company has a very successful innovation track record. This business is a perfect fit for our existing portfolio, adding highly complementary brands and expanding our position in the attractive market for sustainable laundry and home care products.”
The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Henkel recently raised its full-year outlook after posting robust first-quarter figures.
