PZ Cussons

File:Imperial Leather soap bar.jpg

{{Main|George Zochonis}}

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.{{Cite web|url=http://www.pzcussons.com/en_int/about-us/history/journey-begins|title=PZ Cussons: Our History|date=15 February 2022|accessdate=15 February 2022}} It expanded its operations into what is now Nigeria before the end of the nineteenth century.

{{Main|Constantine Zochonis}}

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.{{cite book|last1=Crossan|first1=Mary M. |title=Strategic Management: a Canadian casebook|date=2000|publisher=Prentice Hall|location=Canada|isbn=9780130836816 |page=167|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JZPpwCkn0ksC&q=%22Constantine+Zochonis%22+-wikipedia|access-date=24 May 2022}} In 1948 PZ took over a Nigerian soap manufacturer.{{cite news |title=Paterson, Zochonis & Company Limited |url=https://go.gale.com/ps/retrieve.do?tabID=Newspapers&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchResultsType=SingleTab&hitCount=533&searchType=BasicSearchForm¤tPosition=45&docId=GALE%7CCS219107703&docType=Advertisement&sort=Pub+Date+Forward+Chron&contentSegment=ZTMA-MOD1&prodId=TTDA&pageNum=3&contentSet=GALE%7CCS219107703&searchId=R1&userGroupName=leedscl&inPS=true|access-date=14 June 2022|work=The Times (London, England)|url-access=subscription|agency=Gale|issue=52786|date=23 November 1953|page=13}} "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.{{cite journal |last1=Plange |first1=Nii-K. |title=The colonial state of northern Ghana, the political economy of pacification|jstor=4005724 |journal=Review of African Political Economy |date=December 1984 |volume=11 |issue=31, Capital vs. Labour in West Africa |pages=29–43|doi=10.1080/03056248408703598 }}{{cite journal |last1=Heap |first1=Simon |title='Jaguda boys': pickpocketing in Ibadan, 1930-60|jstor=44614007 |journal=Urban History |date=December 1997 |volume=24 |issue=3 |pages=324–343|doi=10.1017/S0963926800012384 |s2cid=145130577 }}{{cite journal |last1=Adebayo |first1=A.G. |title=The production and export of hides and skins in colonial and northern Nigeria 1900-1945|jstor=183002 |journal=The Journal of African History |date=1992 |volume=33 |issue=2 |pages=273–300|doi=10.1017/S0021853700032242 |s2cid=162461665 }}

{{Main|John Zochonis}}

From 1951, Alexander Loupos, cousin of Constantine Zochonis, took over PZ as chairman. John Zochonis became chairman in the 1970s.{{cite news|title=Sir John Zochonis|url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/business-news/sir-john-zochonis-1029395|access-date=12 April 2022|work=Manchester Evening News|date=15 February 2007|archive-date=14 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220414094726/https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/business-news/sir-john-zochonis-1029395 |url-status=live }} Paterson Zochonis continued to expand under John Zochonis,{{cite ODNB |last1=Jeremy |first1=David J. |title=Zochonis, Sir John Basil |url=https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-108350 |access-date=12 April 2022|date=1 January 2017|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/108350 |isbn=978-0-19-861412-8 }}{{cite web|title=Paterson Zochonis|url=https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Paterson_Zochonis|website=gracesguide.co.uk|publisher=Grace's Guide to British Industrial History|access-date=12 April 2022|date=7 May 2021}} It was one of three or four firms which commercially dominated Guinea as a colony before 1958.Thomas O'Toole, Historical Dictionary of Guinea, Scarecrow Press, 1978, p. 55

The company acquired Cussons Group (founded by Thomas Cussons) from the Cussons family in 1975. Offices and factories were established in Thailand and Indonesia in 1986 and 1988 respectively.{{cite web|url=http://files.investis.com/pzc/docs/annual_report_and_accounts_2009.pdf|title=Annual Report 2009|page=2|publisher=PZ Cussons|access-date=18 February 2022}}

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. PZ Cussons sold the brand 1001 Carpet Cleaner in February 2004 to the American WD40 Company for £6.2 million.Hall, W. (11 February 2004). "Weak dollar slows down PZ Cussons". Financial Times. London. PZ Cussons closed its factory in Nottingham in February 2005 (founded by Gerard Bros.) and relocated the operations to Thailand.{{cite web |url= http://www.ukbusinesspark.co.uk/pzs02672.htm |title=UK Business Park – B2B Sales Leads & Company News |publisher=ukbusinesspark.co.uk |access-date=31 March 2015 |url-status=dead| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120226083811/http://www.ukbusinesspark.co.uk/pzs02672.htm |archive-date=26 February 2012|df=dmy-all}}{{Cite news |url= https://www.theguardian.com/business/2005/feb/09/11 |title=Cussons closes Nottingham plant |date=9 February 2005 |access-date=15 April 2022 |work=The Guardian |location= London}}

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.{{Cite news |url= http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/business/s/219/219586_soap_maker_reveals_15m_factory_plans.html |title=Soap maker reveals £15m factory plans |date=2 August 2006 |work=Manchester Evening News |access-date=17 November 2021}}

PZ Cussons acquired the Sanctuary Spa and Sanctuary products business in January 2008 for £75 million.{{Cite news |url= http://www.brandrepublic.com/News/780148/Cussons-buys-Sanctuary-spa-brand-75m/ |title=Cussons buys Sanctuary Spa brand for £75m |date=30 January 2008 |work=brandrepublic.com |access-date=17 November 2021}} 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.{{Cite news |last=Foy |first=Simon |url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2019/12/12/pz-cussons-boss-quits-13-years-profits-slide/ |title=PZ Cussons boss quits after 13 years as profits slide |date=12 December 2019 |work=The Telegraph |location= London |access-date=17 February 2020}}

PZ Cussons Group has a marketing presence in Europe, Africa and Asia.{{cite web|title=PZ Cussons: Our Markets|url=http://www.pzcussons.com/pzc/ourmarkets/|publisher=pzcussons.com|access-date=17 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080915111412/http://www.pzcussons.com/pzc/ourmarkets/|archive-date=15 September 2008|date=15 September 2008|url-status=dead}}

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.{{cite web |url= http://www.themanufacturer.com/articles/profits-fail-to-scrub-up-at-pz-cussons/ |title=Profits fail to scrub up at PZ Cussons |date=24 July 2012 |work=The Manufacturer |access-date=10 April 2016}}

PZ Cussons' main brand is the Imperial Leather range of soaps, bath and shower and cosmetic products.Jones S. 17 November 2001, "Bubbly PZ washes hands of some of its imperial past" Financial Times. London. p. 2. PZ Cussons operates a joint venture electrical superstore, Haier Thermocool, in Lagos, Nigeria and also operates in Ghana.{{cite news |url= http://uk.reuters.com/article/mergersNews/idUKL914602220080729 |archive-url= https://archive.today/20120719141756/http://uk.reuters.com/article/mergersNews/idUKL914602220080729 |url-status= dead |archive-date= 19 July 2012 |title=UPDATE 2-PZ Cussons boosted by strong trading in Nigeria |date=29 July 2008 |agency=Reuters UK |access-date=31 March 2015}} 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.{{cite web |title=Nigeria |url= https://www.pzcussons.com/nigeria/ |website=PZ Cussons |access-date=11 January 2021}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category-inline|PZ Cussons}}

• [https://www.pzcussons.com/ Official website]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Pz Cussons}}

Category:British companies established in 1884

Category:Companies listed on the London Stock Exchange

Category:Manufacturing companies based in Manchester

Category:Personal care companies of the United Kingdom

Category:Multinational companies headquartered in England