Henkel marks 150th anniversary as Chancellor Merz recalls early career at German DAX group

Anniversary celebration and Merz's early career

German consumer goods and chemicals manufacturer Henkel marked its 150th anniversary on 26 September 2026 with a ceremony at its headquarters in Düsseldorf. Chancellor Friedrich Merz attended the event and spoke about his own early career connection to the DAX-listed corporation. Shortly after Henkel's 1985 stock market listing, Merz worked for several months in the executive board secretariat while employed at the Association of the Chemical Industry.

My time in this company and in this industry shaped me deeply. And to this day, I feel particularly connected to this industry.

Merz recalled an exchange years later as a young member of the European Parliament with Chancellor Helmut Kohl, who joked about his chemical industry background. The chancellor congratulated the company on its longevity and praised its management for providing aid to Ukraine while terminating its multi-billion-euro business operations in Russia after the 2022 invasion. He noted that such actions demonstrated economic activity is not merely an end in itself.

Henkel is a great example that long-term successful companies consist of more than patents, products, and factories.

From Aachen soap maker to multinational conglomerate

Merchant Fritz Henkel founded Henkel & Cie at age 28 alongside two partners in Aachen on 26 September 1876, debuting with a silicate-based universal detergent. The firm introduced Henkel's Bleich-Soda in 1878 before outgrowing its initial premises and relocating to Düsseldorf, establishing its permanent headquarters in the Holthausen district in 1900. Henkel released its Persil laundry detergent in 1907, producing 4,700 metric tons in 1908 and seven times that volume by 1915, followed by the introduction of the White Lady advertising figure in 1922. The company expanded into industrial adhesives and P3 cleaners during the 1920s, launched the lipstick-inspired Pritt glue stick in 1969, and completed its initial public offering in 1985 as a founding DAX member. Subsequent portfolio expansions included purchasing Schwarzkopf in 1995, Loctite in 1997, and US adhesive producer National Starch from Akzo Nobel for 3.7 billion euros in 2008.

Corporate footprint and executive leadership

Henkel recorded 20.5 billion euros in annual revenue for 2025, generated in roughly equal parts by its adhesive technologies and consumer goods units. The company operates 165 production facilities across 53 countries, employing approximately 50,000 people globally, including 8,000 staff in Germany. Chief Executive Officer Carsten Knobel has led the management board since 2020, while Simone Bagel-Trah, the great-great-granddaughter of the founder, chairs both the supervisory board and the shareholders' committee. In 2023, Henkel consolidated its laundry, home care, and personal care operations into the Consumer Brands division, eliminating roughly 3,500 jobs worldwide. The group competes with Procter & Gamble, Unilever, and L'Oreal in consumer markets, and with H.B. Fuller, Sika, and 3M in industrial adhesives, sealants, and functional coatings.

Antitrust scrutiny and consumer spending shifts

Henkel maintains global market leadership in adhesives, supplying automotive and electronics manufacturers, but faces regulatory and economic headwinds. In July 2026, the US Federal Trade Commission sued to block Henkel's planned acquisition of an American adhesive manufacturer on antitrust grounds, with an FTC attorney asserting the merging entities were the Coca-Cola and Pepsi of the adhesives market. The company has also navigated elevated energy expenses since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine and cyclical industrial demand. In consumer goods, retail private labels have gained ground as inflation squeezed household budgets. A study by management consultancy Roland Berger found that 71 percent of consumers rank price among their top three purchasing factors, compared to 21 percent who prioritize brand reputation.