Reckitt Benckiser was formed late in 1999 by the merger of two of the biggest and best known household products companies in the world, Reckitt & Colman and Benckiser NV. The merged business is now the largest household cleaning company in the world.

The newly merged Company manufactures and markets a vast range of Household products in the areas of Air Care, Lavatory Care, Shoe Care, Floor Care, Furniture Care, Fabric Care, Surface Care, Dishwashing products and Pest Control. Familiar names* include Airozone, Haze, Harpic, Nugget, Cherry Blossom, Cobra, Sunbeam, Mansion, Mr Sheen, Woolite, Robin, Jik, Lysol, Shieldtox, Pif Paf, Mortein, Calgon, Finish, Vanish and Napisan.

In the Health and Personal Care field, Reckitt Benckiser manufactures and markets a range of over the counter brands* which are well-known names in many countries. These include Disprin, Codis, Disprol, Disprin CV, Cardiprin, Dettol, Bonjela, Gelora, Lemsip, Gaviscon, Fybogel, Senokot, Steradent and Immac. The Company is active in developing working relationships with healthcare professionals around the world and offers training in all of the therapeutic categories in which it operates. Reckitt Benckiser is very much involved in supporting the development of Infection Control Associations, particularly in Commonwealth countries in Africa and South Asia.

Benckiser was founded as long ago as 1823 and for over 100 years its core business was in industrial chemicals. In 1956 it began to diversify into consumer goods and industrial cleaning products, one of the best known being Calgon Water Softener. In the 1980s it began geographical expansion in Europe and North America and began to focus in on consumer goods making more than 15 acquisitions in the process. In the 1990s expansion into Eastern Europe, Russia and Asia began.

The beginnings of Reckitt & Colman were very much focussed in the UK and countries of the Commonwealth, in Africa, South and East Asia and Australasia. Much of the pharmaceutical business is still concentrated in these regions although the parent company is now truly global with large businesses across the world.

Reckitt Benckiser will continue to make a valuable contribution to health by providing better solutions in over the counter medicines for the common day-to-day problems that we all face.

* In some countries some of the above mentioned brands are owned by companies not connected with Reckitt Benckiser.