2024 ASI Top 20: Henkel GmbH &amp; Co. KGaA

Henkel is a multi-national chemical and consumer goods provider known for a range of consumer and industrial products, including adhesives, sealants, functional coatings, cosmetics, and household cleaning products. Founded in 1876, the company is organized in two business units: Adhesive Technologies and Consumer Brands. Henkel recorded revenue of approximately €21.5 billion (approx. $23.73 billion) in 2023, down 3.9% compared to 2022. The Adhesive Technologies business accounted for 50% of that revenue with approximately €10.79 billion (approximately $11.9 billion) in sales for 2023, down 4% compared to 2022.

The Adhesive Technologies business unit serves various industries, such as automotive, electronics, packaging, aerospace, medical, building and construction, and general manufacturing. The business unit operates within three business areas: Mobility & Electronics, which accounted for 36% of segment sales in 2023; Packaging & Consumer Goods, which represented 32% of segment sales in 2023; and Craftsmen, Construction & Professional, which accounted for 33% of segment sales in 2023. Sales in Mobility & Electronics were €3.848 billion (approximately $4.25 billion); Packaging & Consumer Goods sales were €3.413 billion (approximately $3.77 billion); Craftsmen, Construction & Professional posted 2023 sales of €3.529 billion (approximately $3.895 billion).

Major brands platforms within the Henkel Adhesive Technologies portfolio include the Loctite, Technomelt, Bonderite, Teroson and Aquence brands for industrial products and Pritt, Loctite, Ceresit and Pattex for consumers and craftsmen.

NOTES: In November 2023, the Adhesive Technologies business unit purchased US-based Critica Infrastructure, a supplier of maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) composite solutions for critical infrastructure, including oil and gas transmission and municipal water supply systems. Active in many countries, Critica has a strong focus on North America with annual sales of around $110 million.

In April of this year, Henkel completed its acquisition of Seal for Life Industries LLC from Arsenal Capital Partners. US-based Seal for Life supplies protective coating and sealing solutions to a variety of infrastructure markets, including renewable energy, oil and gas, and water.

Henkel opened its Technology Center in Bridgewater, New Jersey, in May 2023. The 70,000-square-foot facility offers a unique and interactive destination for the company’s strategic partners and customers.In February 2024, the company announced construction of its first integrated innovation and technology center in Latin America, located in Jundiaí, Sao Paulo. Henkel expects the new center to create a collaborative ecosystem for developing innovations and solutions for the Adhesive Technologies business unit, as well as being a hub for training, capacity building and interaction with customers and partners in the region.

In June 2023, the Adhesive Technologies business unit broke ground on a new manufacturing facility within the Yantai Chemical Industry Park in Shandong Province, China. The new plant will enhance Henkel's production capacity of high-impact adhesive products in China and better meet the growing demand from domestic and international markets.

Opening image courtesy of Henkel.