Henkel
Henkel is a German multinational company whose brands span adhesives, sealants, functional coatings, laundry and home care, and hair and beauty products.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Henkel is a German multinational company headquartered in Düsseldorf and active across both industrial and consumer markets. Its business is commonly associated with two broad areas: Adhesive Technologies, which supplies adhesives, sealants, and functional coatings to manufacturers and professional users, and Consumer Brands, which brings together laundry and home-care products as well as hair-care and beauty products. This combination gives Henkel a distinctive position between specialty chemicals and branded consumer goods. The company traces its origin to 1876, when Fritz Henkel and partners established a business in Aachen and introduced a silicate-based universal detergent. The business moved to Düsseldorf in 1878, a relocation that established the city as Henkel’s long-term corporate base. Henkel later expanded beyond detergents: it began producing adhesives in 1922, creating an industrial activity that eventually became one of the company’s most important global businesses. Over the twentieth century, Henkel developed through international expansion, product development, and acquisitions. Its portfolio came to include household detergents, laundry products, professional and consumer hair care, and technologies used in packaging, electronics, transportation, construction, and general manufacturing. The acquisition of the American adhesive company Loctite in 1997 strengthened Henkel’s position in engineering adhesives and helped make Loctite one of the group’s best-known international brands. Henkel has also owned or operated consumer brands such as Persil, Schwarzkopf, Syoss, Pril, and Dial in different markets, although brand availability varies by country and business segment. Henkel established a presence in China during the company’s broader internationalization. A Beijing representative office was established in 1988, while Henkel China’s investment company was registered in Shanghai in 1995. The company subsequently expanded its Chinese manufacturing, research, marketing, and commercial activities. Its Asia-Pacific and China headquarters moved to Shanghai’s Zhangjiang area in 2007. Chinese operations have supported both consumer brands, including Schwarzkopf and Syoss, and industrial businesses serving local and international manufacturers. The group has periodically reshaped its portfolio through acquisitions and organizational changes. In consumer products, it consolidated activities under the Consumer Brands business unit in 2022. In 2024, Henkel acquired the Sassoon brand and related hair-care activities in Greater China, and it inaugurated a consumer-products research and development center serving Asia. In 2025, the company reported the completion of a new Asia-Pacific innovation experience center in Shanghai and the acquisition of Suzhou Bok Biological Technology, according to the supplied reference material. These moves illustrate Henkel’s continuing emphasis on regional innovation, premium and professional hair care, and local market development. Henkel’s positioning combines technical performance with brand familiarity. Adhesive Technologies is directed largely at business customers and emphasizes formulation expertise, process reliability, production efficiency, and applications engineering. Consumer Brands competes through everyday household products and personal-care products supported by brand equity, retail distribution, professional channels, and digital marketing. Recruitment material from China describes social-media planning, influencer coordination, content review, and advertising-performance monitoring for Schwarzkopf, reflecting the increasingly digital nature of Henkel’s consumer-brand activity. Henkel remains an active international corporate brand rather than a single-product label. Its identity is expressed through the parent group and through a portfolio of product brands, while its business model depends on a mix of recurring consumer demand, industrial customer relationships, res…
History
Henkel began in 1876 when Fritz Henkel and his partners founded a company in Aachen and launched a universal detergent based on silicate. The company moved to Düsseldorf two years later. This early focus on practical household chemistry formed the foundation for a business that would later combine consumer brands with industrial technologies. The company entered adhesives production in 1922. Over time, adhesives became a major pillar of the group, eventually serving industrial applications ranging from packaging and electronics to automotive production, construction, and general assembly. Henkel’s industrial portfolio expanded through research, technical service, and acquisitions. The purchase of Loctite in 1997 was particularly important because it strengthened the group’s position in engineering adhesives and introduced a globally recognized brand into its portfolio. Henkel also developed a broad consumer business. Its activities have included laundry detergents, dishwashing products, household care, hair color, hair styling, professional salon products, and personal-care offerings. Brands such as Persil, Pril, Schwarzkopf, Syoss, and Dial have represented different parts of this portfolio in various markets. Product ownership and distribution differ by country, so the group’s brand architecture is best understood as a regional portfolio rather than a uniform worldwide lineup. International expansion became increasingly important during the twentieth century. Henkel was listed in Germany in 1985. The company established a Beijing representative office in 1988 and registered Henkel China’s investment company in Shanghai in 1995. It later expanded manufacturing and commercial operations in China, with its Asia-Pacific and China headquarters established in Shanghai’s Zhangjiang area in 2007. The Chinese business has supported both consumer activities and industrial technology operations. Henkel continued to use acquisitions to enter categories and strengthen geographic positions. The group acquired Yamahatsu Sangyo in 2000 and expanded its professional hair-care presence through the acquisition of Shiseido’s North American professional hair business in 2017. In 2022, it reorganized its consumer activities into a Consumer Brands business unit, bringing laundry and home care closer to hair and beauty operations under one management structure. The company’s more recent China activity has focused on regional innovation and consumer-brand development. A new factory project in Yantai was reported to have started construction in 2023. In 2024, Henkel acquired the Sassoon brand and related hair-care activities in Greater China and opened a consumer-products research center for Asia. In 2025, it completed a new Asia-Pacific innovation experience center in Shanghai and acquired Suzhou Bok Biological Technology, according to the supplied reference material. Today, Henkel operates as an active global group with two complementary strategic areas. Adhesive Technologies serves manufacturers and professional customers with adhesives, sealants, coatings, and related process solutions. Consumer Brands serves households, retail consumers, salons, and professional users with laundry, home-care, hair-care, and beauty products. The group’s competitive model rests on formulation science, manufacturing scale, customer relationships, brand management, and international distribution. Available references do not provide a sufficiently reliable basis for a complete current executive roster, detailed financial history, or a definitive list of every active brand in every market.
- 2024
Sassoon acquired in Greater China
[1]Henkel acquired Sassoon and related hair-care activities in Greater China.
- 2022
Consumer Brands business unit created
[1]Henkel combined its consumer activities into a Consumer Brands business unit.
- 2007
Asia-Pacific and China headquarters established in Shanghai
[1]Henkel located its Asia-Pacific and China headquarters in Shanghai’s Zhangjiang area.
- 1997
Loctite acquired
[1]The acquisition strengthened Henkel’s engineering-adhesives portfolio and global industrial presence.
- 1988
Beijing representative office established
[1]Henkel established a representative office in Beijing as part of its development in China.
- 1985
German stock-market listing
[1]Henkel became a publicly listed German company.
- 1922
Adhesives production began
[1]Henkel entered adhesives, establishing the foundation of its later industrial technology business.
- 1878
Headquarters moved to Düsseldorf
[1]The business relocated from Aachen to Düsseldorf, which became its long-term corporate base.
- 1876
Company founded in Aachen
[1]Fritz Henkel and partners founded the company and introduced a silicate-based universal detergent.
Products and positioning
A global portfolio company combining specialty chemical technologies for industrial customers with branded laundry, home-care, hair-care, and beauty products for consumers and professionals.
Industrial adhesives and surface technologies · 1922
Adhesive Technologies
Henkel’s industrial technology portfolio includes adhesives, sealants, functional coatings, and related surface-treatment solutions. These products are used in manufacturing sectors such as automotive, electronics, packaging, construction, aerospace, and general industry. The business combines formulated materials with technical support and process expertise, helping customers bond, seal, protect, assemble, or modify surfaces. Loctite is one of the best-known brands associated with this division.
Consumer home-care products
Laundry and Home Care
Henkel’s home-care portfolio includes laundry detergents, fabric-care products, dishwashing products, and other household cleaning solutions. Persil and Pril are prominent examples associated with this area, although brand availability and ownership can vary across markets. The category relies on product performance, convenience formats, retail distribution, and household brand recognition.
Hair care and beauty
Schwarzkopf
Schwarzkopf is Henkel’s major hair and beauty brand platform, spanning consumer hair color, hair care, styling products, and professional salon offerings. Its market activity combines retail products with professional-channel services and digital brand communication. In China, supplied recruitment material describes social-media content planning, influencer coordination, and performance monitoring connected with Schwarzkopf marketing.
Hair care and styling · 2011
Syoss
Syoss is a hair-care and styling brand within Henkel’s consumer portfolio. It is positioned around salon-inspired performance for retail consumers and may include shampoos, treatments, styling products, and hair-color products depending on market. The brand supports Henkel’s strategy of addressing mass and premium segments within hair care.
Engineering adhesives
Loctite
Loctite is an industrial and professional adhesive brand used for applications including threadlocking, structural bonding, gasketing, instant bonding, and maintenance repair. Its portfolio serves engineers, manufacturers, technicians, and professional users. Henkel’s acquisition of Loctite in 1997 was a major step in developing the company’s global position in specialty adhesives.
Marketing campaigns
- Schwarzkopf digital and influencer marketing
China
Henkel’s China marketing activity for Schwarzkopf includes social-platform content calendars, agency coordination, KOL and KOC selection, content review, and monitoring of advertising performance across platforms such as Douyin, Weibo, WeChat, and Xiaohongshu.
Outcome. The supplied material describes the operating model and responsibilities but does not document a specific campaign result.
Brand decisions
2022
Create the Consumer Brands business unitStrategyBackground
Henkel operated several consumer businesses spanning laundry, home care, hair care, and beauty.
Action taken
It consolidated those activities into a Consumer Brands business unit.
Aftermath
The reorganization created a more unified structure for consumer-brand management and portfolio development.
1997
Acquire LoctiteM&ABackground
Henkel sought to strengthen its position in engineering and specialty adhesives.
Action taken
The company acquired the American adhesive business Loctite.
Aftermath
Loctite became an important international brand within Henkel’s industrial portfolio.
1922
Enter adhesives manufacturingStrategyBackground
Henkel had originated in detergent and household chemistry, but the company began producing adhesives in 1922.
Action taken
It established an adhesives activity that later developed into a major industrial technology business.
Aftermath
The move ultimately broadened Henkel from a consumer-products company into a diversified specialty-chemicals and consumer-brands group.
Recent events
Reported
Henkel appoints Rajat Agarwal as Greater China president[4]
Henkel appointed Dr. Rajat Agarwal as president of Greater China, responsible for Henkel's business operations in the region, effective July 1, 2020.
Reported
Henkel reports third-quarter results[5]
Henkel reported third-quarter sales of €5.08 billion, up 0.8% year over year. Its Beauty Care business reported sales of €970 million, down 2.3%, and adjusted operating profit of €144 million, down 21.2%.
Sources5 sources
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