Reckitt & Sons Ltd

Sectors:

  • Chemical production Cleaning preparations production
  • Food & tobacco processing Grain milling inc flour, starch & glucose products

Notes:

Traced origins to 1840 when established by Isaac Reckitt, corn miller, as a starch manufacturer. Developed into a major household products business by his son (Sir) James Reckitt, 1833-1924. Initially manufactured starch and later washing blue and metal and shoe polish. From 1840s known as Reckitt & Son. Incorporated as Reckitt & Sons Ltd in 1879 and floated as a public company in 1888. 1913 established Chiswick Polish Co Ltd as a joint venture with Chiswick Soap & Polish Co Ltd. Thomas R Ferens, senior executive from 1870s and chairman from 1924. Model housing established for workers via Garden Village (Hull) Ltd. Developed well known brands such as the antiseptic and disinfectant, Dettol which was marketed from 1932. 1912 first associated with J & J Colman Ltd of Norwich also, inter alia, starch manufacturers, and merged with them 1938 to form Reckitt & Colman Ltd. 1954 reconstructed as Reckitt & Colman Holdings Ltd. 1995 Colman food activities sold to Unilever Plc. 1999 merged with Benckiser NV to form Reckitt Benckiser NV

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