Procter & Gamble’s plan to put more than half of its brands on the auction block could have a big impact on contract manufacturing in the household and personal products space. Chairman AG Lafley explained that P&G will target brands that aren’t growing and don’t fit the company’s core businesses. At press time, P&G hadn’t announced which brands may be for sale in the near future, but observers suggest that they could include stalwarts such as Ivory soap, Joy dishwashing detergent, Ace and Era laundry products, Scope mouthwash, Vidal Sassoon hair care products, and Braun appliances. Those are some pretty big names in the FMCG business; and just because they don’t measure up to P&G’s metrics doesn’t mean these brands can’t find new life with some other company.

While established players in the household and personal products industry are sure to pick up many of these “sub-billion dollar “ brands (Spectrum Brands just claimed a pet food line sold in Europe), we’re betting that a number of them will also go to private equity firms that have the money to make a purchase, but are without the resources to make the products—and that’s where this month’s issue of Happi comes in handy.

When someone has the cash but not the infrastructure to make a go of it, they turn to outside sources for all of their manufacturing needs. Our directory includes hundreds of manufacturers who are ready and eager to churn out the next generation of household and personal care products for you. Just give them a call—and tell them that you saw it in Happi!

Before your product hits the consumers’ hands, you’ll need to get it tested for efficacy and safety. That means you’ll need the services of an outside testing company. We’ve got you covered there, too. Check out “Data Driven” and the testing company directory, which begins on p. 53 in this issue.

Tom Branna
Editorial Director
[email protected]