Fa Bath Products

Fa is manufactured by Schwartzkopf & Henkel, a multi-billion dollar company in Dusseldorf, Germany. The Fa brand was established in 1954 and is now sold in over 50 countries worldwide. The Henkel company is 160 years old and its Fa bath line is the #1 selling bath line in Europe.

About Company of Fa:

When the company was founded in 1876 in Aachen as Henkel & Cie by Fritz Henkel (a 28-year-old merchant who was interested in science) and two more partners. They marketed his first product, “Universalwaschmittel”, a universal detergent based on silicate.

When in 1878, to take advantage of the better transport links and sales opportunities, Henkel relocated his company to Düsseldorf on the Rhine (its present site). Düsseldorf was the gateway to the Ruhr region, which became the most important industrial area of the German Empire from the 19th century onward. Same year, the first German brand-name detergent appeared: Henkel’s Bleich-Soda, an affordably-priced product supplied in sturdy paper bags. Made from water-glass and soda, it was the result of Fritz Henkel’s own research. The soda was obtained from Matthes & Weber in Duisburg (Henkel bought this company in 1917 and sold it in 1994).

Fa restructuring.

Fritz Henkel became a sole owner in 1879. A a result, the sales of Henkel’s Bleaching Soda increased so rapidly that within just one year the rented factory on the Schützenstraße in Düsseldorf was unable to meet the demand. Therefore, Fritz Henkel decided to build his own factory with a railway link.

In 1883, to improve liquidity and make better use of the company’s travelling sales staff, Fritz Henkel decided to sell merchandise in addition to his detergents as well. Sales started in 1884. The range included the colorant ultramarine [laundry bluing agent], gloss starch, a liquid cleaning agent, a pomade for cleaning, beef extract, and a hair pomade. Very soon Henkel developed its international presence—in 1886, Henkel opened its first international sales office in Austria. Carl Pathe had gone to Vienna as a representative the year before. In 1893, Henkel established its first business links with England and Italy.

In 1903, Schwarzkopf founded by Hans Schwarzkopf (1874–1921) launched a powder shampoo. Persil came in 1907 as the first “self-acting laundry detergent”.

Family run business of Fa.

Henkel has been a family-run business since the beginning. In 1893, Fritz Henkel, Jr. (1875–1930) joined the firm as an apprentice. After receiving commercial training he became his father’s right-hand man in commercial matters. He put Henkel’s brand-name product business on a sound footing, therefore developed its already successful advertising still further and was responsible for the company’s field service. On July 25, 1904, he became a partner in Henkel, which was transformed into a general commercial partnership. By this time, 110 people were employed at the Holthausen site. On April 25, 1905, Dr. Hugo Henkel (1881–1952), the youngest son of Fritz Henkel, Sr., joined the company as a chemist. He was in charge of Chemical Products and Technology. Over the years, he laid the foundations of systematic research and introduced advanced technologies and new raw materials. In 1908, he became a personally liable partner in the company.

Fa products are on the rise.

In 1912, total production in Düsseldorf-Holthausen rose to 49,890 tons. At 19,750 tons, Persil laundry detergent accounted for 40 percent of this, just five years after its market launch. While the number of employees increased by 89 relative to the previous year, resulting in a total workforce of 1,024. Around half of employed were female. However, In the previous year Henkel had installed ball fields and play areas to encourage exercise during break times. Female employees could attend the plant’s own housekeeping school during the lunch break as well.

Fa this days.

In 2014, laundry products specialist Henkel offered to buy French-based laundry aids-to-shoe polish manufacturer Spotless for 940 million Euros (about $1.3 billion) in cash. “By acquiring Spotless, we will strengthen our market position and enter highly profitable growth segments,” Henkel chief executive at that time, Kasper Rorsted, told reporters.The deal would slightly increase Henkel’s share of the $82 billion global laundry care market to 8.7%, still well behind Procter & Gamble’s 26.6% and the 14.8% market share held by Unilever, which sells Persil detergent—a Henkel brand—in some markets.

However, the takeover, which was subject to approval from antitrust authorities, was completed in May 2015. Effective May 1, 2016, Hans Van Bylen took over the position as Chairman of the Henkel Management Board. Also in 2016, Henkel acquired the laundry and home care company Sun Products for 3.2 billion euros ($3.6 billion), thus becoming No. 2 supplier in the North American laundry care market, and presented its new strategic priorities and financial ambition for 2020.

Variety of Fa products are available at Vitamin Cove USA.