(Special Report) PZ Cussons 120 years after, Nigeria remains a success story
In 1884, George Paterson and George Zochonis set up a trading post in Sierra Leone, traversing along the entire West African coast with fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) and the UK across challenging geographies in a period of slow and difficult travel.
The two men shared strong beliefs in how to do business effectively and responsibly, with an entrepreneurial spirit, an eye for great opportunities and a can– do attitude – values that still guide the organisation today!
This is the short history of the humble origin of today’s PZ Cussons group.
However, up in 1899, Paterson and Zochonis opened their first branch office in Nigeria – a country which would become our biggest market employing the majority of our people.
Just as predicted, today, Nigeria is PZ Cusson’s largest and most diverse single market, operating in Personal Care, Home Care, Food and Nutrition and Electricals.
The company which has been in Nigeria serving generations to generations with daily needs today employ over 3500 people working across our extensive network.
Key Categories and Brands of the company cut across Personal Care – Imperial Leather, Carex, Cussons Baby, Premier, Robb, Venus, Joy
Home Care – Zip, Morning Fresh
Electricals – Haier Thermocool, TEC
Food and Nutrition – Yo!, Nunu, Coast, Mamador, Devon King’s and Olympic
Just as the firm continues to deliver quality products to Nigeria and beyond, it believes that it will continue to grow through brand innovation and renovation and the development of new distribution points.
Few years ago, PZ built a joint venture with the Haier Group to fast track the delivery of quality, reliable and innovative electrical goods to the Nigerian consumer harnessing cutting edge technology to address everyday household challenges.
Relying on the success from HPZ, the group introduced CoolWorld Electrical Retail Stores structured to provide a modern shopping environment with a trusted service and finance options for our consumers to access quality electrical goods including our own leading Thermocool brand.
In the same vein, in 2011, the PZ Wilmar joint venture was formed with the ambition to establish a food ingredients consumer brand. Together with its partner Wilmar International Ltd, PZ Cussons has developed a new range of edible cooking oils – Mamador and Devon King’s providing great quality, healthy cooking oil for Nigerian families, refined locally in our new world class Palm Oil refinery in Lagos.
As part of its 120 years celebration, PZ Cussons executives were at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) to commemorate with the prestigious Closing Gong.
