PZ Cussons is a major British manufacturer of personal healthcare products and consumer goods. It operates worldwide, especially in Africa and Commonwealth nations. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange, and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.
PZ Cussons was formed in 1975, when Paterson Zochonis took over Cussons Group Ltd. from the Cussons family, who founded Cussons in 1884.[2] The company expanded its operations into what is now Nigeria before the end of the 19th century.[2]
PZ expanded considerably during the twentieth century, acquiring factories and establishing offices in Ghana and Kenya.[2] It was one of three or four firms which commercially dominated Guinea as a colony before 1958.[3] In 1975, the company acquired Cussons Group (founded by Thomas Cussons).
Later that century, more offices and factories were acquired in Asia, with PZ’s first factory built in Thailand in 1986, and operations expanded into Indonesia in 1988. In 1993, PZ bought the state owned Pollena Wroclaw in Poland, followed in 1995 by Pollena Uroda, and in 2002, Paterson Zochonis plc was renamed PZ Cussons plc.
In February 2004, PZ Cussons sold the 1001 Carpet Cleaner brand to the American WD-40 Company for £6.2 million. In 2005, PZ Cussons closed its Nottingham factory (founded by Gerard Bros.), and relocated the operations to Thailand. In August 2006, PZ Cussons announced a plan to move its remaining factory in England from Kersal to Swinton, both in the City of Salford.
In January 2008, PZ Cussons acquired the Sanctuary Spa and Sanctuary products business. In December 2019, Alex Kanellis stepped down from his position as PZ Cussons’ CEO. Kanellis held the position since June 2006. In March 2020, Jonathan Myers was announced as the new chief executive officer, effective 1 May 2020.
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| Type | Public company |
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Traded as
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LSE: PZC |
| Industry | Cosmetics, Soaps, Gels, Dairy Household chemicals, & Natural Oils |
| Founded | 1879 |
| Founder | George Paterson, George Zochonis |
| Headquarters | Manchester, England |
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Key people
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Jonathan Myers, CEO |
| Products | Imperial Leather, Soaps, Shampoos, Gels, Milk, olive oil, Detergents & Healthcare Products. |
| Revenue |  £587.2 million (2020) |
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Operating income
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£66.1 million (2020) |
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Net income
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£15.5 million (2020) |
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Number of employees
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3,571 (2020) |
| Website | www.pzcussons.com |
Operations
PZ Cussons Group has a marketing presence in Europe, Africa and Asia. 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 2019 as part of an initiative to focus on core business. PZ Cussons’ main brand is the Imperial Leather range of soaps, bath and shower and cosmetic products. PZ Cussons operates a joint venture electrical superstore in Lagos, Nigeria and also operates in Ghana.
PZ Cussons’ largest single market 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.
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