SSL International
Encyclopedia
SSL International plc was a British
manufacturer of healthcare products. Its best known brands were Durex
and Scholl
; other significant brands were Sauber and Mister Baby. The company's name was an abbreviation of Seton Scholl London International, its predecessor businesses. Since November 2010, SSL International has been a part of Reckitt Benckiser
.
was founded in 1906 by Chicago
-based podiatrist William M Scholl. Opening its first shop in London in 1913, after the death of Dr Scholl it was listed publicly on the New York Stock Exchange
in 1972, and became a member of the Fortune 500
. Bought by Schering-Plough
in 1978, the company sold the global brand and non-North American operations to Basingstoke
-based home appliance electrical manufacturer European Home Products in 1984. After the merger was complete, EHP renamed itself Scholl plc.
, medical markets with Regent surgical gloves, and business-to-business with Marigold Industrial Gloves.
From 2002 to 2004 the Company disposed of its medical and industrial products to focus on its two main brands as part of a "strategic repositioning". The first major diversement was of 21 OTC
brands to Thornton & Ross Limited in March 2002. Marigold Industrial Gloves was sold to Comasec SAS in November 2003. The wound management products were sold to Medlock Medical Limited (owned by Apax Partners
) in May 2004. Regent Infection Control (makers of Biogel surgical gloves and Hibi antiseptics) was also sold to a business owned by Apax Partners in May 2004 for £173 million. The final sale was of the minor Silipos business to Langer Inc in October 2004.
In November 2007 the Company went on to buy Orthaheel, an Australia
n business selling insoles designed and marketed by podiatrist, Phillip Vasyli.
In November 2008 the Company announced the completion of its acquisition of Crest Condoms, a Swiss
based condom brand.
, China
, India
, Thailand
and CIS.
In July 2010, SSL agreed to be bought by household products company Reckitt Benckiser
in a £2.5Bn deal. The takeover was completed in November 2010.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
manufacturer of healthcare products. Its best known brands were Durex
Durex
Durex is the trademarked name for a range of condoms that used to be made by British company SSL International. This company was sold to Reckitt Benckiser in July 2010....
and Scholl
Dr. Scholl's
William Mathias Scholl was a podiatrist, pioneer of foot care and the founder of Dr. Scholl's, a brand of foot care products. Scholl went on to found the Illinois College of Chiropody and Orthopaedics. William M...
; other significant brands were Sauber and Mister Baby. The company's name was an abbreviation of Seton Scholl London International, its predecessor businesses. Since November 2010, SSL International has been a part of Reckitt Benckiser
Reckitt Benckiser
Reckitt Benckiser plc is a global consumer goods company headquartered in Slough, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest producer of household products and a major producer of consumer healthcare and personal products...
.
Scholl plc
Dr. Scholl'sDr. Scholl's
William Mathias Scholl was a podiatrist, pioneer of foot care and the founder of Dr. Scholl's, a brand of foot care products. Scholl went on to found the Illinois College of Chiropody and Orthopaedics. William M...
was founded in 1906 by Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
-based podiatrist William M Scholl. Opening its first shop in London in 1913, after the death of Dr Scholl it was listed publicly on the New York Stock Exchange
New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located at 11 Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City, USA. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies at 13.39 trillion as of Dec 2010...
in 1972, and became a member of the Fortune 500
Fortune 500
The Fortune 500 is an annual list compiled and published by Fortune magazine that ranks the top 500 U.S. closely held and public corporations as ranked by their gross revenue after adjustments made by Fortune to exclude the impact of excise taxes companies collect. The list includes publicly and...
. Bought by Schering-Plough
Schering-Plough
Schering-Plough Corporation was a United States-based pharmaceutical company. It was founded in 1851 by Ernst Christian Friedrich Schering as Schering AG in Germany. In 1971, the Schering Corporation merged with Plough to form Schering-Plough. On November 4, 2009 Merck & Co...
in 1978, the company sold the global brand and non-North American operations to Basingstoke
Basingstoke
Basingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, in south central England. It lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon. It is southwest of London, northeast of Southampton, southwest of Reading and northeast of the county town, Winchester. In 2008 it had an estimated population of...
-based home appliance electrical manufacturer European Home Products in 1984. After the merger was complete, EHP renamed itself Scholl plc.
Seton Healthcare plc
Seton Healthcare plc was founded in 1952 by Ivor Stoller, selling tubular bandages. It built up an over the counter consumer drugs business, by acquiring brands that included Full Marks Mousse and Meltus (from Cupal Ltd of Blackburn).London Rubber Company
The London Rubber Company was founded in 1915 by LA Jackson, selling imported condoms and barber shop supplies. Subsequently renamed London International Group (LIG) plc, it developed a consumer based product portfolio, spanning health and beauty products including DurexDurex
Durex is the trademarked name for a range of condoms that used to be made by British company SSL International. This company was sold to Reckitt Benckiser in July 2010....
, medical markets with Regent surgical gloves, and business-to-business with Marigold Industrial Gloves.
Merger of Seton and Scholl
In July 1998, Scholl and Seton merged to become Seton Scholl plc. In 1999, Seton Scholl and LIG merged to become Seton Scholl London International Group plc, shortened to SSL International. The integration of these two businesses was led by Stuart Wallis, the first chairman of SSL, who left the Company in 2001.From 2002 to 2004 the Company disposed of its medical and industrial products to focus on its two main brands as part of a "strategic repositioning". The first major diversement was of 21 OTC
Over-the-counter drug
Over-the-counter drugs are medicines that may be sold directly to a consumer without a prescription from a healthcare professional, as compared to prescription drugs, which may be sold only to consumers possessing a valid prescription...
brands to Thornton & Ross Limited in March 2002. Marigold Industrial Gloves was sold to Comasec SAS in November 2003. The wound management products were sold to Medlock Medical Limited (owned by Apax Partners
Apax Partners
Apax Partners LLP is a global private equity and venture capital firm, headquartered in London. The company also operates out of eight other offices in New York, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Tel-Aviv, Madrid, Stockholm, Milan and Munich. The firm, including its various predecessors, have raised...
) in May 2004. Regent Infection Control (makers of Biogel surgical gloves and Hibi antiseptics) was also sold to a business owned by Apax Partners in May 2004 for £173 million. The final sale was of the minor Silipos business to Langer Inc in October 2004.
In November 2007 the Company went on to buy Orthaheel, an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n business selling insoles designed and marketed by podiatrist, Phillip Vasyli.
In November 2008 the Company announced the completion of its acquisition of Crest Condoms, a Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
based condom brand.
Takeover
By the beginning of 2010, the company was listed on the FTSE 250, and had a commercial presence in over thirty countries, and manufacturing plants in the United Kingdom, SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
and CIS.
In July 2010, SSL agreed to be bought by household products company Reckitt Benckiser
Reckitt Benckiser
Reckitt Benckiser plc is a global consumer goods company headquartered in Slough, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest producer of household products and a major producer of consumer healthcare and personal products...
in a £2.5Bn deal. The takeover was completed in November 2010.