COMPANIES Most companies that make consumer goods are easy to understand. Unilever sells soaps and margarines. Reckitt Benckiser sells household bleach and dishwasher tablets. L’Oréal sells lipstick and eyeliner.
In this world of simpletons, Henkel, the German company founded in 1876 by merchant Fritz Henkel, is a Daedalus. It owns 750 brands. It makes Schwarzkopf shampoo and Persil washing powder.
