OUR STORY

George Paterson and George Zochonis set up a trading post in Sierra Leone, trading goods between West Africa and the UK across challenging geographies in a period of slow and difficult travel. The two men shared strong beliefs in how to do business effectively and responsibly, with a pioneering spirit and an eye for business opportunities. 

Today, the Zochonis family remains major shareholders in PZ Cussons and The Zochonis Charitable Trust supports charities in Sierra Leone and Ghana, and in the Northwest of England close to the Manchester headquarters of PZ Cussons.

Paterson and Zochonis open our first branch office in Nigeria – a country which will become a lead market for the PZ Cussons Group.

The 1900s was a rapid period of expansion for the business, establishing bases across Africa, Europe and Asia.

Alexander Tom Cussons establishes the Cussons business above his father’s chemist shop in Swinton, Manchester.

Paterson and Zochonis open our first soap factory in Nigeria.

Paterson and Zochonis is listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1953. A strong endorsement of the Company’s performance through challenging times including two world wars.

The growth continues as PZ establishes a manufacturing base in Ghana.

In 1976 Paterson Zochonis acquires Cussons, a business in the North West of England that owns Imperial Leather, a leading soap brand originally established in 1938.

PZ Cussons also acquires the Preservene Soap Company in Victoria, Australia. Our Australian business was later expanded into Victoria in 1987 and into New Zealand in 1988.

The growth continues as Paterson Zochonis buys a soap factory in Kenya and establishes operations in Thailand, Indonesia and Poland.

Founded in the 1970s, Thermocool became a trusted name in Nigerian homes. In 2001, PZ Cussons partnered with global appliance leader Haier to form HPZ Limited, evolving the brand into Haier Thermocool.

Paterson Zochonis Plc is renamed PZ Cussons Plc. We also acquire Original Source, a challenger brand in UK washing and bathing.

PZ Cussons creates Nutricima – a joint venture with Glanbia plc – to supply evaporated milk and milk powder in Nigeria. This brand was sold in 2020 as PZ Cussons focused on its core categories.

PZ Cussons acquires Charles Worthington, a premium hair care brand in the UK.

PZ Cussons acquires Sanctuary Spa, a leading spa brand in the UK.

PZ Cussons opens a new, state-of-the-art manufacturing and innovation centre in Salford in the UK. The facility consolidated PZ Cussons’ UK personal care research and production, replacing older sites and significantly expanding innovation and manufacturing capacity for brands such as Imperial Leather and Carex.

PZ Cussons acquires premium tanning brand St.Tropez, later expanding distribution to over 18 countries.

We establish PZ Wilmar Limited, a joint venture with Wilmar International Limited, building a palm oil refinery in Nigeria and establishing an edible oils business.

A new head office is opened in Manchester, accompanied by a new office in London in Covent Garden, the first of several London locations for the Group.

PZ Cussons acquires premium haircare brand Fudge Professional.

PZ Cussons acquires leading Australian baby food brand Rafferty’s Garden, which remains a successful brand for us today.

PZ Cussons focuses on core hygiene, baby and beauty brands with increased focus on premiumisation in personal and family care and continues to strengthen operations in Africa. 

In 2020 the global Covid-19 pandemic brings our washing and bathing brands into the spotlight, with an emphasis on handwashing and important contributions to charities and local communities in our markets.

PZ Cussons sells its Polish personal care brand Luksja in 2020, with a new distribution agreement to distribute PZ Cussons’ brands in Poland and Central and Eastern Europe.

PZ Cussons acquires five:am, an organic yoghurt brand in Australia, to expand into food and nutrition. This brand was sold in 2021 as we refocused our core categories.

PZ Cussons acquires leading UK baby and child personal care brand, Childs Farm, introducing new product ranges and achieving international expansion.

PZ Cussons refocused its core categories as personal, home and baby care, and with a commitment to continue to build brands to serve more consumers better around the world.

In 2025 we sell our equity interest in PZ Wilmar Limited, a Nigerian edible oils business, to our joint venture partner, Wilmar International Limited. 

We also announce a new distribution partnership with the Emerson Group to go for growth with our St.Tropez brand in North America.