Arbora & Ausonia

Arbora & Ausonia was a Spanish consumer-goods company specializing in absorbent hygiene products. Its business covered three principal areas: child and family hygiene, feminine hygiene, and adult incontinence. The company was created in 1998 through the merger of Arbora Holding and Ausonia, bringing together established businesses with complementary positions in the Iberian personal-care market. Arbora Holding dated from 1968, while Ausonia had been created in 1977. Before the merger, Arbora & Ausonia had already become connected to Procter & Gamble. In 1989, the business became a joint venture between Procter & Gamble, the United States-based multinational consumer-products company, and Agrolimen, a Spanish holding group with international operations. The resulting company combined local market knowledge and established Iberian brands with the manufacturing, marketing and distribution capabilities of a global consumer-products group. The company traded principally in Spain and Portugal. Its central offices were in Barcelona, while it also maintained offices in Oeiras, near Lisbon. Its industrial footprint included plants in Jijona in Alicante province, Mequinenza in Zaragoza and Montornès del Vallès in Barcelona. The Jijona facility was particularly significant locally, employing about 500 people and expanding substantially from its earlier footprint to become the largest industrial site by employment in the province of Alicante. Across its offices and plants, the company had nearly 1,300 employees during its operating period. Its portfolio included well-known hygiene brands and product ranges. In child and family hygiene, it manufactured or marketed Dodot, Kandoo and Charmin nappies and wipes. Feminine-care products included Evax and Ausonia sanitary towels and panty liners, together with Tampax tampons. Its adult-care portfolio included Ausonia Evolution, Lindor and Salvacamas products for urinary incontinence. These brands positioned the business across everyday household consumption as well as specialized life-stage and healthcare-related needs. Arbora & Ausonia also used its brands and corporate activities to provide information about health and personal care. Its initiatives addressed subjects such as adolescence, reproductive and intimate health, and breast-cancer awareness. Projects included “La adolescencia y tú,” developed with the Child and Adolescent Gynaecology Group and linked to the Spanish Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics. The company also supported an observatory focused on women’s intimate health and maintained collaborations involving UNICEF, the Spanish Association Against Cancer and the Red Cross. In 2012, Agrolimen announced the sale of its 50 percent interest to Procter & Gamble for a reported US$1 billion. Procter & Gamble subsequently announced in 2013 that Arbora & Ausonia would be absorbed into the multinational. The Barcelona headquarters was closed, while most of the company’s remaining industrial and operational infrastructure was retained within Procter & Gamble. As a result, Arbora & Ausonia ceased to operate as a separate corporate entity, although several of its brands and facilities continued within Procter & Gamble’s broader business.

Arbora & Ausonia emerged from two Spanish hygiene businesses with separate origins. Arbora Holding was founded in 1968, and Ausonia was established in 1977. Their activities were concentrated in absorbent personal-care products, an area covering household, feminine and adult hygiene. In 1989, the businesses became part of a joint venture structure involving Procter & Gamble and Agrolimen. This arrangement paired Procter & Gamble’s international consumer-products expertise with Agrolimen’s Spanish corporate base and regional market presence. The two businesses were merged in 1998 to create Arbora & Ausonia. The new company became a significant participant in the Iberian personal-care and hygiene sector, operating in both Spain and Portugal. Barcelona served as the location of its central offices, and the company maintained a Portuguese office in Oeiras, near Lisbon. Its manufacturing network included facilities in Jijona, Mequinenza and Montornès del Vallès. The Jijona plant was the largest of these sites by employment, with approximately 500 workers. It expanded from a much smaller facility in the 1980s to an industrial area of roughly 59,500 square metres. In total, the company employed close to 1,300 people across offices and plants during its operating period. The portfolio was built around brands serving distinct life stages and care needs. Dodot, Kandoo and Charmin were associated with nappies and wipes for children and families. Evax and Ausonia covered sanitary towels and panty liners, while Tampax represented the tampon business. In adult care, Ausonia Evolution, Lindor and Salvacamas addressed urinary incontinence and related protection needs. This breadth allowed the company to combine high-volume household products with more specialized personal-care categories. Beyond manufacturing and sales, Arbora & Ausonia supported educational and public-interest activities related to health. Its initiatives included information for adolescents and families, intimate-health education and breast-cancer awareness. The “La adolescencia y tú” project was developed with specialists in child and adolescent gynaecology and was associated with the Spanish Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics. The company’s brands and corporate programs also included collaboration with UNICEF, the Spanish Association Against Cancer and the Red Cross. The ownership structure changed decisively in 2012, when Agrolimen agreed to sell its 50 percent interest to Procter & Gamble for a reported US$1 billion. After obtaining full ownership, Procter & Gamble announced in 2013 that it would absorb Arbora & Ausonia. The Barcelona headquarters was closed, but most of the remaining infrastructure was maintained within Procter & Gamble. The transaction ended Arbora & Ausonia’s existence as an independent company, while its brands and operational assets continued under the acquiring multinational.

• 2013

  Business absorbed into Procter & Gamble

  [1]Arbora & Ausoniaen.wikipedia.org

  Procter & Gamble integrated Arbora & Ausonia, closing its Barcelona headquarters while maintaining most of the remaining infrastructure.

• 2012

  Procter & Gamble agrees to acquire Agrolimen’s stake

  [1]Arbora & Ausoniaen.wikipedia.org

  Agrolimen announced the sale of its 50 percent interest to Procter & Gamble for a reported US$1 billion.

• 1998

  Arbora and Ausonia merge

  [1]Arbora & Ausoniaen.wikipedia.org

  Arbora Holding and Ausonia were combined to form Arbora & Ausonia.

• 1989

  Joint venture with Procter & Gamble and Agrolimen

  [1]Arbora & Ausoniaen.wikipedia.org

  Arbora & Ausonia’s predecessor businesses became part of a joint venture between Procter & Gamble and Agrolimen.

• 1977

  Ausonia created

  [1]Arbora & Ausoniaen.wikipedia.org

  Ausonia was established as the second predecessor business in the later Arbora & Ausonia structure.

• 1968

  Arbora Holding founded

  [1]Arbora & Ausoniaen.wikipedia.org

  Arbora Holding, one of the businesses that later formed Arbora & Ausonia, was established in Spain.

An Iberian personal-care and hygiene company organized around absorbent products for different stages of life, with a portfolio spanning babies and families, feminine care and adult incontinence.

• Child and family hygiene

  Dodot

  Dodot was one of the company’s principal child-hygiene brands, associated with nappies and related absorbent products for babies and families. It represented Arbora & Ausonia’s presence in a high-volume everyday-care category and formed part of the company’s broader family-hygiene portfolio alongside wipes and other child-oriented offerings.

• Child and family hygiene

  Kandoo

  Kandoo was included in Arbora & Ausonia’s child and family hygiene portfolio. The brand was associated with children’s wipes and related care products, complementing the company’s nappy business and extending its offering beyond core absorbent products into daily hygiene routines for young children.

• Child and family hygiene

  Charmin

  Charmin was listed among the company’s nappy and wipes brands. Within Arbora & Ausonia’s portfolio, it contributed to the family-hygiene segment, which was one of the company’s three principal business areas alongside feminine hygiene and adult incontinence care.

• Feminine hygiene

  Evax

  Evax was a feminine-hygiene brand covering sanitary towels and panty liners. It was part of the company’s consumer-facing menstrual-care portfolio and helped establish Arbora & Ausonia as a major participant in the Spanish and Portuguese feminine-hygiene markets.

• Feminine hygiene and incontinence care

  Ausonia

  Ausonia was both a predecessor business and a continuing consumer brand within the merged company. Its product range included sanitary towels and panty liners, while related Ausonia Evolution products addressed urinary incontinence. The name therefore connected Arbora & Ausonia’s historical origins with its broader personal-care portfolio.

• Feminine hygiene

  Tampax

  Tampax represented the tampon category in Arbora & Ausonia’s feminine-hygiene offering. Its inclusion gave the company coverage across several principal menstrual-care formats, complementing sanitary towels and panty liners sold under Evax and Ausonia.

• Adult incontinence

  Lindor

  Lindor was an adult-care brand in the company’s urinary-incontinence portfolio. It addressed absorbent protection needs for adults and formed part of Arbora & Ausonia’s specialized care business, alongside Ausonia Evolution and Salvacamas products.

• Adult incontinence

  Salvacamas

  Salvacamas was included among the company’s products for urinary incontinence and protective care. It complemented the adult-absorbent portfolio and illustrated the company’s strategy of serving needs across different stages of life rather than concentrating solely on baby or feminine hygiene.

• La adolescencia y tú

  Spain

  An educational initiative addressing adolescence and related health questions. It was developed with the Child and Adolescent Gynaecology Group and associated with the Spanish Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics.

  Source
• Women’s Intimate Health Observatory

  Spain

  A health-information and awareness initiative focused on women’s intimate health, developed with specialist and professional participation.

  Source
• Ausonia and the Spanish Association Against Cancer breast-cancer campaign

  Spain

  Ausonia collaborated with the Spanish Association Against Cancer on an anti-breast-cancer awareness campaign.

  Source
• Dodot and UNICEF collaboration

  Spain

  Dodot participated in a collaboration agreement with UNICEF as part of the company’s broader social-responsibility activities.

  Source
• Red Cross collaboration

  Spain

  Arbora & Ausonia maintained a collaboration agreement involving the Red Cross.

  Source

• 2013

  Integrate Arbora & Ausonia into Procter & GambleStrategy

  Background

  After acquiring Agrolimen’s interest, Procter & Gamble controlled the entire company and announced a corporate integration.

  Action taken

  Procter & Gamble absorbed Arbora & Ausonia, closing the Barcelona headquarters while retaining most of the remaining infrastructure.

  Aftermath

  Arbora & Ausonia ceased to exist as an independent company, while its brands and facilities continued within Procter & Gamble.

  Source

• 2012

  Acquire Agrolimen’s 50 percent joint-venture stakeM&A

  Background

  Arbora & Ausonia had operated as a joint venture between Procter & Gamble and Agrolimen since 1989. Agrolimen decided to sell its half of the business.

  Action taken

  Procter & Gamble agreed to purchase Agrolimen’s 50 percent interest, reportedly for US$1 billion.

  Aftermath

  The transaction gave Procter & Gamble full ownership and preceded the absorption of Arbora & Ausonia into the multinational.

  Reported transaction value. 50 percent ownership interest held by Agrolimen → Full ownership by Procter & Gamble (2012)

  Source

• 2013

  Procter & Gamble absorbs Arbora & Ausonia[1]Arbora & Ausoniaen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Procter & Gamble announced the integration of Arbora & Ausonia into its own operations. The Barcelona headquarters was closed, while most of the company’s other infrastructure was retained.

• 2012

  Agrolimen to sell its stake in Arbora & Ausonia to Procter & Gamble[1]Arbora & Ausoniaen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Agrolimen announced the sale of its 50 percent holding in the joint venture to Procter & Gamble. The transaction was reported at approximately US$1 billion and would give Procter & Gamble full ownership of the business.

1. 1Arbora & Ausoniaen.wikipedia.org