Sun Products Corp. in Wilton, producer of laundry and other household products, announced today that owner Vestar Capital Partners in New York City has agreed to sell the company to Henkel Consumer Goods Inc., a subsidiary of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA in Germany, for $3.6 billion.
“Joining forces with Henkel is the ideal step following our multiyear journey of transformation into a competitive and profitable industry leader,” said Jeffrey P. Ansell, Sun Products chairman, president and CEO.
In 2008, Vestar acquired the North American laundry products business of London-based global consumer goods competitor Unilever, folding Snuggle, Wisk and Surf laundry products into what was then its Huish Detergents business, later renamed Sun Products Corp.
Sun Products develops and manufactures laundry and dish care brands for North American retailers in addition to their own brands such as All, Sun, Snuggle and Sunlight. The company employs approximately 2,000 people and generated sales of roughly $1.6 billion in fiscal year 2015 in the Canada and the United States.
“This transaction is a major strategic move for Henkel,” said Henkel CEO Hans Van Bylen in a written statement. “North America is one of the most important markets for us worldwide. With the acquisition of Sun Products we will improve our position in the United States, the world”™s largest laundry market.”
According to Henkel, pending the close of the deal the acquisition would bump it to the number two position in the laundry care market in North America.
Consumer goods giant Proctor and Gamble currently holds the top spot.
Founded in 1876, Henkel employs about 50,000 people and reported sales of $ 20.1 billion and an adjusted operating profit of $3.25 billion in fiscal year 2015.
