Henkel North American Consumer Goods
Henkel's North American consumer-products business, historically developed from The Dial Corporation.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Henkel North American Consumer Goods is the North American consumer-products business operated by Henkel Corporation, a subsidiary of German multinational Henkel AG & Co. KGaA. The business is based in Stamford, Connecticut, and manufactures and markets household-cleaning, laundry-care, personal-care, and beauty-care products. Its corporate identity developed from The Dial Corporation, whose best-known heritage brand is Dial soap. The business traces much of its history to Armour and Company, a Chicago meatpacking company that had produced soap since the late nineteenth century. Armour chemists introduced Dial deodorant soap in Chicago in 1948 and expanded it nationally in 1949. Dial distinguished itself through deodorant and antibacterial positioning, a bright golden color, and a distinctive fragrance. Its success led Armour's consumer-products operations to be incorporated as Armour-Dial in 1967. Greyhound Corporation acquired Armour and Company in 1970. During the 1980s and early 1990s, the consumer-products portfolio expanded through the acquisition of Purex Industries' consumer business and brands including Boraxo, Borateem, 20 Mule Team Borax, Breck, and Renuzit. Following the separation of Greyhound's service businesses, the consumer-products operation became the new Dial Corporation in 1996, while the former parent became Viad Corp. Dial later developed and acquired a broader range of detergent, stain-removal, deodorant, and personal-care brands. It entered joint ventures with Henkel in 1999 and 2000, but those arrangements were discontinued. Henkel acquired Dial in December 2003, bringing the American consumer-products portfolio into Henkel's global consumer-brands structure. Henkel subsequently acquired additional deodorant brands from Procter & Gamble in 2006 and the Sun Products laundry business in 2016. In 2017, Dial operations moved from Scottsdale, Arizona, to Stamford, Connecticut, to consolidate with Sun Products and align more closely with Henkel's North American organization. The consolidated business adopted the Henkel North American Consumer Goods name in 2018. The portfolio has since changed through divestitures, including the sale of Coast, Pure & Natural, and Soft & Dri to High Ridge Brands in 2012 and the sale of Right Guard and Dry Idea to Thriving Brands in 2021. Dial soap remains one of the principal heritage brands associated with the business.
History
The business's heritage begins with Armour and Company, a Chicago meatpacking company that made soap from animal-fat by-products. Armour introduced Dial deodorant soap in the Chicago market in 1948 and distributed it nationally the following year. The product was promoted around protection from perspiration odor and became a leading deodorant-soap brand in the United States. Armour's consumer-products activities were organized as Armour-Dial, Inc. in 1967. Greyhound Corporation acquired Armour and Company in 1970 and moved the operation to Phoenix, Arizona. During this period, environmental activist James F. Phillips publicly accused Armour-Dial of polluting Mill Creek, which flowed into the Fox River. His labeling campaign against Dial products helped generate a boycott and was followed by an Illinois legal action regarding alleged violations of pollution standards. In 1985, Greyhound combined Armour-Dial with the consumer-products business acquired from Purex Industries, creating a broader household-products platform. The portfolio later gained Boraxo, Borateem, and 20 Mule Team Borax from U.S. Borax, Breck shampoo from Shulton, and Renuzit from S. C. Johnson & Son. After Greyhound sold its transportation business, the parent was renamed Greyhound Dial Corporation and then The Dial Corp. The consumer-products business was separated in the mid-1990s, with the new Dial Corporation established as an independent public company and its headquarters moved to Scottsdale, Arizona. The new Dial Corporation expanded and restructured its portfolio during the late 1990s and early 2000s. It sold Brillo to Church & Dwight, formed joint ventures with Henkel, acquired Coast soap and Zout stain remover, and sought a buyer after management changes and difficult acquisitions. Henkel acquired Dial in December 2003. The transaction made Dial's personal-care and household brands part of Henkel's North American consumer-goods operations; Henkel also divested its stake in The Clorox Company as part of the transaction. After the acquisition, the portfolio changed through both purchases and divestitures. Dial acquired Right Guard, Soft & Dri, and Dry Idea from Procter & Gamble in 2006, while its food business was sold to Pinnacle Foods. In 2012, Henkel sold Coast, Pure & Natural, and Soft & Dri to High Ridge Brands. Henkel's acquisition of Sun Products in 2016 strengthened its North American laundry business and led to the relocation of Dial operations from Scottsdale to Stamford in 2017. The consolidated organization was renamed Henkel North American Consumer Goods in 2018. In 2021, Henkel sold Right Guard and Dry Idea to Thriving Brands LLC. The continuing business is associated with Henkel's North American laundry, household-care, and personal-care activities, with Dial remaining its most prominent historical brand.
- 2018
Current business name adopted
[1]The consolidated operation adopted the Henkel North American Consumer Goods name.
- 2016
Sun Products acquired
[1]Henkel acquired Sun Products, expanding its North American laundry portfolio.
- 2003
Henkel acquisition
[1]Henkel acquired The Dial Corporation.
- 1996
New Dial Corporation established
[1]The consumer-products business was spun off and became the new Dial Corporation.
- 1985
Purex consumer business combined with Armour-Dial
[1]Greyhound combined the acquired Purex consumer-products business with Armour-Dial.
- 1970
Greyhound acquired Armour
[1]Greyhound Corporation acquired Armour and Company, including Armour-Dial.
- 1967
Armour-Dial incorporated
[1]Armour's consumer-products activities were organized as Armour-Dial, Inc.
- 1949
National rollout of Dial
[1]Dial was distributed nationally and developed into a leading deodorant-soap brand.
- 1948
Dial introduced in Chicago
[1]Armour and Company introduced Dial deodorant soap in the Chicago market.
Products and positioning
Mass-market and value-oriented consumer care, laundry, and household-cleaning products with selected premium and performance-led offerings.
Personal care · 1948
Dial
Dial is the heritage personal-care brand from which the business derives much of its corporate history. Introduced by Armour in 1948, it began as a deodorant soap positioned around protection from perspiration odor. The range has been associated with bar soaps and other cleansing products and remains one of the principal brands connected with Henkel's North American consumer-products operation.
Laundry care
Persil
Persil is a Henkel laundry-detergent brand sold in North America. It represents the group's performance-oriented laundry offering and is marketed separately from the business's value and heritage detergent brands.
Laundry care
Purex
Purex is a laundry-detergent brand inherited through the historical Purex consumer-products portfolio. It forms part of Henkel's North American laundry-care assortment and is positioned as a mainstream household detergent offering.
Home care · 1993
Renuzit
Renuzit is a home-fragrance and household-care brand acquired by the former Dial consumer-products business from S. C. Johnson & Son in 1993. It illustrates the expansion of the portfolio beyond soap and laundry products.
Deodorant
Right Guard
Right Guard was a deodorant brand acquired by Dial from Procter & Gamble in 2006. Henkel later sold the brand to Thriving Brands LLC in 2021, so it is no longer part of the Henkel North American Consumer Goods portfolio.
Deodorant
Dry Idea
Dry Idea was acquired alongside Right Guard and Soft & Dri from Procter & Gamble in 2006. Henkel divested the brand to Thriving Brands LLC in 2021.
Controversies
Alleged Armour-Dial water pollution
Armour-Dial was accused by environmental activist James F. Phillips of discharging pollutants into Mill Creek, which flowed into the Fox River. The allegations prompted public protest, a product boycott, and an Illinois lawsuit concerning pollution standards.
Marketing campaigns
- Armour-Dial pollution protest
United States
Environmental activist James F. Phillips, known as The Fox, organized a public campaign alleging that Armour-Dial polluted Mill Creek and the Fox River area. Stickers placed on Dial products warned consumers about the alleged pollution and helped trigger a boycott of Armour-Dial products.
Outcome. The campaign contributed to an Illinois legal action concerning alleged violations of state pollution standards.
Brand decisions
2017
Operations consolidated in StamfordStrategyBackground
Henkel was integrating Dial operations with Sun Products and its broader North American organization.
Action taken
Dial headquarters operations moved from Scottsdale, Arizona, to Stamford, Connecticut.
Aftermath
The organization was renamed Henkel North American Consumer Goods in 2018.
2016
Henkel acquired Sun ProductsM&ABackground
Henkel sought to strengthen its North American laundry-detergent and household-care business.
Action taken
Henkel acquired Sun Products and subsequently consolidated operations with the Dial business.
Aftermath
The consolidation supported the relocation of Dial operations to Stamford and the later adoption of the Henkel North American Consumer Goods name.
Acquisition value. Approximately $3.6 billion (2016)
2003
Henkel acquired The Dial CorporationM&ABackground
Dial was a stand-alone American consumer-products company with household-cleaning and personal-care brands.
Action taken
Henkel acquired the company and integrated its portfolio into Henkel's North American consumer-goods activities.
Aftermath
The transaction established the corporate and brand lineage of the present Henkel North American Consumer Goods business.
Acquisition value. Approximately $2.9 billion (December 2003)
Recent events
- 2021
Henkel sold Right Guard and Dry Idea[1]
M&A
Henkel divested the Right Guard and Dry Idea deodorant brands to Thriving Brands LLC.
- 2021
Henkel sells Right Guard and Dry Idea[1]
M&A
Henkel sold the Right Guard and Dry Idea deodorant brands to Thriving Brands LLC.
- 2018
Business renamed Henkel North American Consumer Goods[1]
Other
Following the operational consolidation, the business adopted the Henkel North American Consumer Goods name.
- 2017
Dial operations relocated to Stamford[1]
Other
The Dial operation moved from Scottsdale, Arizona, to Stamford, Connecticut, as Henkel consolidated it with Sun Products and its North American organization.
- 2017
North American consumer-goods headquarters move to Stamford[1]
Other
The business relocated from Scottsdale, Arizona, to Stamford, Connecticut, to consolidate operations with Sun Products and improve alignment with Henkel's North American organization.
- 2016
Henkel acquired Sun Products[1]
M&A
Henkel acquired Sun Products, a major laundry-detergent manufacturer, for approximately $3.6 billion, according to the referenced material.
- 2016
Henkel acquires Sun Products[1]
M&A
Henkel acquired laundry-detergent manufacturer Sun Products for approximately $3.6 billion, expanding its North American laundry-products operations.
- 2012
Henkel sells several personal-care brands to High Ridge Brands[1]
M&A
Henkel sold the Coast, Pure & Natural, and Soft & Dri brands to High Ridge Brands, reshaping the North American personal-care portfolio.
- 2006
Dial acquired Right Guard, Soft & Dri, and Dry Idea[1]
M&A
Dial purchased three deodorant brands from Procter & Gamble, expanding its personal-care portfolio.
- 2006
Dial sells its food business to Pinnacle Foods[1]
M&A
The company sold its food business, including Armour Star canned meat and ready-meal products, to Pinnacle Foods for $183 million, narrowing its focus on consumer care and cleaning categories.
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