Corporate sales rose 9.2% to $5.8 billion. Organic sales increased 5.3%, driven by 10.7% growth in the consumer domestic business. In 2023, consumer domestic accounted for 78% of sales. The increase was attributed to the impact of the Hero acquisition, as well as higher sales of Therabreath mouthwash and Arm & Hammer liquid detergent. Those gains were partially offset by lower sales of Finishing Touch Flawless hair removal products, gummy dietary supplements and Waterpik oral care products. One of the company’s biggest brands, Arm & Hammer Baking Soda, was certified Carbon Neutral.

The consumer international division accounted for 17% of sales last year. Sales rose 8.9%, driven by Therabreath, Batiste dry shampoo, Oxiclean stain removers and Waterpik.

All the results were in-line with Church & Dwight’s “Evergreen business model.” First introduced in 2018, the model was tweaked this year to reflect expectations of faster topline growth, greater margin expansion and a higher cadence of of growth investment, specificially in ecommerce and international. The revised model calls for 4% organic growth (up from 3%) and 25-50 basis points of gross margin expansion (up from 25bps).

Church & Dwight maintains that its portfolio is well-balanced between premium (63%) and value (37%) brands. Those percentages enable the company to thrive no matter what the economy is doing. In addition, its brands have low exposure to private label and C&D remains committed to growth through acquisition.

For decades, Church & Dwight executives noted the company was focused on 14 power brands that account for the bulk of sales and profits. But in 2024, the focus is getting narrowed to just seven brands: Arm & Hammer, Oxiclean, Batiste, Vitafusion, Waterpik, Therabreath and Hero. Why the move? According to CEO Matt Farrell, “to make the story more easily digestible to investors, but the 14 all remain important to us.”

The super 7 account for more than 70% of sales and profits. They’re all growing and all compete in growing categories.

Focus is also shifting online. In 2015, just 1% of sales were online. Last year, 20% of global sales were online. Looking ahead, the company expects 40% of net sales will be ordered online. No surprise, then, that digital advertising accounted for 80% of media spend in 2023.

For Q1 2024, sales rose 5.1%, driven by a 3.7% gain in volume, and positive product mix and pricing (1.5%). During the quarter, TheraBreath and Hero achieved all-time market share highs of 16% and 19.2%, respectively. In March, Church & Dwight agreed to acquire Graphico, its Japan-based distributor, for approximately $35 million. For more than 15 years, Graphico partnered with Church & Dwight and drove Oxiclean to be the No. 1 powder prewash additive in Japan. According to Farrell, the move will contribute to greater expansion of business in Japan and the greater APAC region. Looking ahead, Farrell told attendees at the Deutsche Bank analyst meeting that Church & Dwight is looking for deals in the US and internationally, including Europe and Africa.

Church & Dwight expects sales to rise 4-5% for the full year.

Sales: $5.0 billion

Cash-strapped consumers turn to A&H laundry detergent brands.

Corporate sales rose 3.5%. Global consumer product sales rose 3.6% as domestic consumer product sales rose 4.8%, offset by a 1.8% decline in international sales.

Church & Dwight credited the gains to the acquisitions of Hero Cosmetics (October 2022) and TheraBreath (acquired in 2021).

“Acquisitions are the No. 1 destination for our cash,” explained CEO Matt Farrell in a June presentation at the dbAccess Global Consumer Conference. Acquisitions helped C&D grow sales from $1.5 billion in 2004 to $5.4 billion in 2022.

Other top performing brands during the year included Arm & Hammer liquid detergent, OxiClean powder detergent and Batiste dry shampoo.

For Q1 2023, sales rose 10.2% to more than $1.4 billion. Household product sales rose 15.5% to more than $601 million. Personal care sales rose 8.5% to more than $515 million. Company execs said the gains came from the acquisition of Hero, as well as higher demand for A&H and Xtra liquid detergents, Therabreath mouthwash and Finishing Touch Flawless hair removal products. Outside the US, sales were driven by Batiste shampoo in Australia and Europe, and A&H liquid detergent and Sterimar in Mexico.

At the dbAccess Global Consumer Conference, Farrell explained the company’s 14 Powerbrands represent 85% of sales. Further, 13 of the 14 Powerbrands were acquired. The lone exception? Arm & Hammer! C&D’s premium priced products account for 60% of sales, with value representing the remaining 40%, enabling the company to weather economic downturns. In fact, the company recently raised its fiscal year sales estimates 100 basis points to 6-7% growth this year.

Farrell said the company faces little exposure from private label products. And when cash-strapped consumers trade down from premium-priced laundry detergent, they’re opting for A&H liquids and powders.

Church & Dwight adheres to an “Evergreen Model,” which calls for 10-year average organic sales growth of 3.0%. In fact, the company has posted growth of 3.9% during that time.

Sales: $4.8 billion for household and personal care products.

Corporate sales rose 6% last year. Worldwide consumer sales increased 5.6%, on the strength of a 4.6% gain in domestic sales and a 10.1% jump in international sales. The increase in sales was attributed to several brands in Happi’s field, including Batiste dry shampoo, Arm & Hammer scent booster and OxiClean powder.

In November, Church & Dwight agreed to acquire TheraBreath, an oral care company, for $580 million. TheraBreath’s sales for the trailing 12 months through Sept. 30, 2021 were approximately $86 million. It is the No. 2 brand in the alcohol-free mouthwash category in the US. International represents less than 10% of net sales.

Arm & Hammer added a new hypoallergenic detergent for babies.

“Oral care is important to us strategically,” said Church & Dwight CEO Matthew T. Farrell, at the time of the announcement. “TheraBreath represents a powerful addition to our existing oral care portfolio which includes Arm & Hammer toothpaste, Spinbrush battery-operated toothbrushes, Orajel oral analgesics and Waterpik water flossers. The TheraBreath brand is a problem/solution product and one of the fastest growing brands in the mouthwash category. This acquisition gives Church and Dwight a strong position in a growing category with tailwinds as the brand skews towards younger consumers and consistently has a high level of brand loyalty and repeat purchase.”

According to C&D, TheraBreath’s annual net sales are projected to grow approximately 15% to $100 million this year.

For the first quarter of 2022, sales grew 4.7% to nearly $1.3 billion. The company continues to experience strong consumer demand for many of its products. Organic sales grew 2.7% driven by positive product mix and pricing of 7.8% offset by a volume decline of -5.1%, which reflects the impact of continued supply chain disruption and pricing elasticities.

“Even with our ongoing supply chain challenges, our brands once again experienced strong consumption in Q1 2022,” said Farrell. In the US, we grew consumption in 11 of the 17 categories in which we compete.”

According to Farrell, seven C&D brands experienced double-digit consumption growth including Arm & Hammer Scent Boosters, Arm & Hammer Baking Soda, Batiste dry shampoo and Therabreath mouthwash. Seven of the company’s 14 power brands grew share.

Taking a closer look at Q1 results, consumer domestic sales rose 5.6% to $995.1 million. Organic sales increased 2.7% due to price and product mix (+8.7%), offset by volume (-6.0%). Growth was led, in part, by Oxiclean Versatile Stain Remover, Batiste dry shampoo and Arm & Hammer Liquid Detergent. Consumer international sales fell less than 1% to $214.6 million. Demand for Batiste and Oxiclean were more than offset by international supply chain issues and “laundry portfolio decisions in Canada.”

Supply chain issues impact every company in The Top 50, but despite these pressures, no company is stepping back from their sustainability goals. Earlier this year, Church & Dwight reiterated its commitment to productive action on plastic pollution prevention and shared its preexisting plans to announce a substantial virgin plastic packaging reduction goal. By 2025, C&D will reduce an absolute amount or percent of virgin fossil-fuel-based plastic packaging over a recent baseline year. The company communicated it will achieve the goal through a variety of strategies, including packaging redesign, product innovation, increased recycled content use, and reusable packaging.

“It is encouraging to see an increasing number of companies, like Church & Dwight, recognize the need to reduce overall use of plastic,” said Kelly McBee, waste program coordinator at As You Sow, an NGO chartered to promote corporate social responsibility through shareholder advocacy, coalition building, and legal strategies. “We applaud Church & Dwight for stepping up to set a plastic use reduction goal for achievement by 2025.”

Earlier this year, prior to the annual meeting, As You Sow filed a shareholder proposal with C&D, asking the company to report on how it would reduce plastic packaging.

Sales: $3.7 billion for household and personal care products
Corporate sales: $4.9 billion

Global sales rose 12.3% to nearly $4.9 billion. Household products accounted for 42% of consolidated net sales. Personal care products accounted for 35% of sales. International sales represented 17% of sales and Church & Dwight has operations in six countries (Canada, Mexico, UK, France, Germany, and Australia) and sell to over 130 other countries.

The gains were attributed to organic sales which increased 9.6% driven by 10.7% revenue growth in the consumer domestic business, and 8.6% revenue growth in consumer international business. The company said revenue rose, in part, to higher sales of Arm & Hammer liquid laundry detergent, OxiClean stain fighters, Waterpik water flossers and showerheads, Kaboom bathroom cleaners, and Arm & Hammer laundry detergent scent boosters. A number of these brands realized higher than anticipated sales due to higher consumer demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

CEO Matt Farrell called 2020, an extraordinary year for the company.

“Household and personal care businesses delivered exceptional volume growth as consumers and retailers focused on core essentials,” said Farrell. “Our brands once again experienced strong consumption in Q4, which continued in January. The pandemic drove double-digit consumption growth in many domestic categories.”

That growth enabled C&D to boost marketing spending, manufacturing, R&D, new product development, consumer research, digital advertising, and predictive analytics.

Although Church & Dwight sells more than 80 brands, just 13 of them generate over 80% of revenues. These “power brands” include Arm & Hammer, OxiClean, Spinbrush, Orajel, Nair and Batiste. Since 2001, C&D has acquired 13 of its power brands and actively seeks acquisitions that fit its guidelines.

Online sales play an increasingly important role at C&D. In 2015, just 1% of sales were online. Last year, approximately 13% of global sales were online. Company executives said they are preparing for a world where 40% of net sales are ordered online.

Notable new products included Oxiclean Laundry and Home Sanitizer. According to C&D, it is the first and only sanitizing product that works with regular detergent to boost stain fighting performance and eliminates 99.9% of bacteria and viruses. The product is also designed for cleaning throughout the house on a variety of surfaces for a germ-free clean.

NPD in personal care included Flawless line extensions to capitalize on the at-home beauty trend and Viviscal’s new Hair Therapy, a powder supplement packaged in convenient, on-the-go sachets that is formulated to support hair health.

The gains continued in 2021. First quarter sales rose 6.3% to more than $1.2 billion. Consumer Domestic sales rose 5.8% helped along by the performances of Waterpik oral care products, Flawless beauty products, Kaboom bathroom cleaners and Viviscal hair thinning products. Consumer International sales rose 9%, primarily driven by the global markets group organic growth and the impact of currency. Despite European lockdowns, organic sales increased 3.2% due to higher volume (+3.5%), partially offset by price and product mix (-0.3%). Sales were driven in part by Waterpik, A&H liquid laundry detergent, Oxiclean stain fighter and Femfresh intimate wash in the company’s global markets group.

Sales: $3 billion (estimated) for household and personal care products.
Corporate sales: $4.3 billion

Corporate sales rose 5.1% last year to more than $4.3 billion. A little more than a year ago, C&D paid $475 million to acquire the Flawless hair removal business from Ideavillage. That acquisition provided a lift to results as did higher sales of Arm & Hammer liquid detergent, Waterpik oral care products, A&H scent booster, Xtra liquid laundry detergent, Batiste dry shampoo and Oxiclean stain fighter. These increases were partially offset by lower sales of Oxiclean liquid laundry detergent.

Church & Dwight said international sales rose 6.6% due, in part, to higher sales of Batiste dry shampoo, Femfresh feminine hygiene products, Oxiclean detergents and A&H liquid laundry detergents. It was the sixth consecutive year that the international business exceeded C&D’s long-term annual growth target of 6%. International sales accounted for more than 17% of corporate sales last year and at the end of 2019, the company had subsidiaries in six countries (UK, France, Germany, Canada, Mexico and Australia) and exported products to more than 130 countries.

Last year, Church & Dwight’s sustainability efforts were lauded by several third parties; for example, C&D made Barron’s Most Sustainable Companies list and the EPA’s Green Power Partnership Top 100 list, Newsweek’s America’s Most Responsible Companies Top 100 List, the EPA’s Green Power Partnership Top 100 list, the Just Capital “America’s Most Just Companies” list and the FTSE4Good Index Series.

For the first quarter of 2020, sales jumped more than 11% to over $1.1 billion, as consumers snapped up a variety of C&D brands when faced with COVID-19. For example, sales of A&H and Xtra laundry detergent rose, as did sales of Kaboom cleaner. Overall, organic sales grew 9.2%, which exceeded the company’s outlook of a 3.0% gain.

“Of the 15 domestic categories which Church & Dwight competes, 10 grew consumption this quarter, and 7 of those 10 had double-digit growth from unprecedented consumer spending due to the coronavirus,” explained CEO Matt Farrell.

In a nod to consumer demand for less complex product formulas, C&D rolled out Arm & Hammer Clean & Simple laundry detergent, which contains only six ingredients plus water. In contrast, C&D says traditional detergent formulas usually contain 30 ingredients.

In its annual report, Church & Dwight pointed out that its portfolio is nicely balanced between premium (63%) and value (37%) brands—a balance that will enable it to ride out the recession.

Sales: $2.9 billion for household and personal care products.
Corporate sales: $4.1 billion.

Church & Dwight knows the value of bolt-on businesses. While baking soda remains at the core of C&D’s efforts, the company has done an excellent job of identifying profitable niches and exploiting them with timely acquisitions. On May 1, the company closed its acquisition of the Flawless and Finishing Touch hair removal business from Ideavillage Products Corporation. Flawless is the market leader in women’s electric hair removal products and will become Church & Dwight’s 12th power brand, along with brands such as Oxiclean, First Response, Trojan and Waterpik. Aside from the A&H brand, all of these power brands have been added since 2001.

Also in May, the company announced that Mathew T. Farrell, who was already the CEO and president, had been appointed chairman of the board.

Last year, corporate sales rose 9.8%, assisted by organic sales gains of 4.3% in consumer domestic and a 7.8% gain in consumer international. Company executives explain that their long-term mission is to maintain their track record of delivering outstanding total shareholder return, based on their “evergreen business model;” i.e., 3% annual organic revenue growth and 8% annual earnings per share growth.

Last year, organic international sales jumped 7.8%—well ahead of C&D’s evergreen model, which calls for a 6% gain in revenue a year. It was the fourth consecutive year that international sales exceeded their target. Church & Dwight distributes products in nearly 140 countries and has fully operational subsidiaries in seven of them—UK, France, Germany, Canada, Mexico, Australia and Brazil. Now attention has turned to Asia where last year, Church & Dwight trained approximately 200 representatives of DKSH, its primary distributor in southeast Asia. Moreoever, nearly a year ago, it began a long-term partnership with Shanghai Jahwa, a billion-dollar FMCG company in China. Under terms of the deal, Shanghai Jahwa will distribute select Church & Dwight products throughout China.

The company is making gains online, too. In 2018, about 7% of global sales were online, up from just 1% in 2015. That increase puts Church & Dwight among the online leaders in its peer group.

Church & Dwight attributed the increase in sales last year to higher sales of A&H liquid and unit dose detergents, Batiste dry shampoo and OxiClean stain fighters, partially offset by lower sales of Kaboom cleaning products. Among notable launches within the personal care portfolio was Waterpik Sonic-Fusion, billed as world’s first flossing toothbrush combining the convenience of a sonic toothbrush with a water flosser in a single device. During development, Sonic Fusion’s codename was M.O.A.T.—for mother of all toothbrushes. This launch did have some hiccups; initially rolled out in 2018, there was a recall ofthe device after it was discovered some units posed a fire hazard.

Church & Dwight was ranked in the 2018 Barron’s 100 Most Sustainable Companies and on EPA’s Green Power Partnership Top 100 List of Green Power Users.

For the first quarter of 2019, Church & Dwight announced sales were $1.04 billion compared to $1.00 billion a year ago. This is an increase of 3.8%. Net income was $175.7 million compared to $157.8 million a year ago.

CEO Mathew Farrell announced, “We now expect full year 2019 reported sales growth of approximately 5-6% due to the Flawless acquisition and continue to expect organic sales growth to be approximately 3.5% reflecting growth with exciting new product introductions in our most important categories.”

Sales: $2.6 billion for home and personal care products.
Corporate sales: $3.7 billion.

Corporate sale rose 8.1% last year, but sales of consumer products were up just 2.5%. The company credited some of the gain to last year’s $1 billion acquisition of Waterpik. At the time of the purchase in July, CEO Matthew Farrell noted: “the flosser products business is a fast-growing platform and capitalizes on the trends of increased gum disease, oral care awareness across all demographics and expansion of the middle-class in emerging markets.”

The company is betting big on its newest Waterpik launch—Sonic Fusion, a new device that combines flossing and brushing into one unit. During development, Sonic Fusion’s code name was M.O.A.T—for mother of all toothbrushes.

Last year, C&D grew market share in seven of 11 power brands. During the period, international sales rose to represent 17% of overall sales.

C&D credited the increase in net sales, in part, to higher sales of Arm & Hammer liquid and unit dose detergents, Batiste dry shampoo and Oxiclean stain removers. But for the same period, Xtra detergent sales fell, which the company blamed on price wars between P&G and Henkel.

For the first quarter, sales grew nearly 15% to top $1 billion. The company credited the gains, in part, to A&H liquid and unit dose laundry detergent, OxiClean stain fighters, Batiste dry shampoo, and Toppik and Viviscal hair care.

In May, Church & Dwight received an unsolicited mini-tender offer from TRC Capital for two million shares. Strangely, the offer price was $44.05 per share or more than 4% below C&D’s common stock. Obviously, the company took a pass.

Sales: $2.6 billion (estimated) for household and personal care products.
Corporate sales: $3.4 billion.

Corporate sales rose less than 3%. Last year, Church & Dwight purchased Spencer Forrest, the maker of Toppik, a brand of hair building fibers for those with thinning hair. The purchase price was $175 million.

Household product sales rose 3% to nearly $1.6 billion due to higher sales of Arm & Hammer liquid and unit dose laundry detergent and Oxiclean laundry additive. But company executives noted that the low-priced laundry detergent business is heating up as P&G expands Simply Tide and Henkel charts a new route for Sun Products. To keep up, Church & Dwight is restaging Oxiclean liquid laundry detergent with improved efficacy, claims and packaging.

C&D is primarily a US company; 84% of sales were domestic last year. International sales rose nearly 8% last year to more than $525 million due, in part, to higher sales of Batiste dry shampoo, Arm & Hammer and Oxiclean.

Top of head is top of mind these days at Church & Dwight. Two years ago, it acquired Batiste dry shampoo and last year it added Toppik hair building fibers. Most recently, in January, the company paid $160 million to acquire Viviscal, which it described as the No. 1 hair care supplement in the US and UK.

Last year, Church & Dwight sold some brands, too. Armaly Brands, Walled Lake, MI, paid an undisclosed amount for Cameo, Snobol and Parsons household cleaners. Armaly, which already owned Brillo, said it will invest in marketing and expand distribution for the three brands.

For the first quarter of 2017, sales rose 3.3% to more than $877 million. US sales were helped by higher sales of A&H liquid and unit dose laundry detergents, Batiste dry shampoo and A&H baking soda. Batiste helped international sales increase 12.3% to more than $143 million.

Sales: $2.5 billion for household, personal care and oral care products.
Corporate sales: $3.4 billion.

Corporate sales rose nearly 3% last year, driven by a 3.1% volume increase, a 2.0% boost from acquisitions and a 0.5% gain from price increases. Those improvements were partially offset (-2.7%) by FX factors. The company was quick to note that the highly competitive US laundry business is getting even more competitive as P&G entered the low-priced portion of the business and Henkel rolled out Persil in the US. Matthew Farrell became president and CEO on Jan. 1, 2016, replacing James Craigie who continues to serve as non-executive chairman and a member of the board.

Also in January, Church & Dwight paid $175 million to acquire Spencer Forest, the maker of Toppik, a hair building system. The line includes “hair-building” fibers, volumizing spray,  3-in-1 renewal shampoo and colored hair thickener. With sales of $30 million, it would seem that C&D paid a top shelf price for Toppik, but the company said the move fits its acquisition criteria: the acquired brand is a leader in a growing category and is expected to be gross margin accretive. The acquisition is helping in other ways too. Farrell noted that just 1-3% of C&D’s sales currently are online, but the company is learning new things from Toppik, which generates 33% of its sales off e-commerce platforms. Church & Dwight notes that it has made 10 acquisitions in the past dozen years and that it acquired nine of its 10 power brands.

For the first quarter ended March 31, 2016, net sales increased 4.5% to $849.0 million. Organic sales rose 5.2% driven by volume growth of 5.6%, and partially offset by 0.4% from unfavorable product mix and pricing.

Finally, when spring hits the US, it must be time for new speculation of Church & Dwight getting acquired. The rumors moved fast and furious around the internet; so fast, in fact, that C&D brass made the unusual move of releasing a statement that the company was definitely not for sale.

Sales: $2.4 billion for household, personal care and oral care products.
Corporate sales: $3.2 billion.

We are nearing the end of an era at Church & Dwight now that Jim Craigie announced that he will step down as CEO on Dec. 31, 2015. But he’s not going away completely; Craigie will continue serving as non-executive chairman and a member of the board and, he proudly notes, 90% of his personal wealth is tied to Church & Dwight stock. Craigie’s replacement will be Matthew T. Farrell, the current chief operating officer and chief financial officer, who will also be elected to the company’s board.

There may be a new person headed to the corner office, but the attitude will remain the same, with a focus on total shareholder return that calls for getting the most out Church & Dwight assets, its brands and its employees. During a Goldman Sachs investor event, Farrell noted that Church & Dwight’s corporate culture is its secret sauce, pointing out that Church & Dwight has the highest sales per employee of any CPG company.

“We have high-aptitude people with a blue-collar approach to work,” Farrell explained. “If your fever isn’t 103°F, you come to work.”
By keeping a close eye on costs, manufacturing in-house whenever possible and keeping key people in the same positions, Church & Dwight has built a $2 billion war chest to make acquisitions—but the focus remains on smaller players with big potential. For example, in 2011 Church & Dwight acquired Batiste dry shampoo. Now, it’s the No. 1 shampoo in the UK and competitors are scrambling to add their own, according to Craigie.

Sales: $2.4 billion for household, personal care and oral care products.
Corporate sales: $3.1 billion. Net income: $394 million.

Corporate sales rose 9.3% and net income improved 12.8% last year. Church & Dwight executives proudly note that they’ve built a portfolio that can weather any economic storm, as the company’s product lineup is neatly divided between premium products (55% of turnover) and value (45%). During the past decade the company has also increased its international presence, so that in 2013 sales outside the US accounted for 17% of revenues.

In 2013, consumer domestic sales rose nearly 12% due, in part, to higher sales of Arm & Hammer liquid laundry detergent and OxiClean laundry additives. But the gains were partially offset by lower sales of A&H powder laundry detergent, Xtra liquid laundry detergent and SpinBrush battery-operated toothbrushes.

International sales rose 4.5%, but the gain was due primarily to the acquisition of a chewable vitamin line.

Last year, the company moved and consolidated its headquarters in Ewing, NJ to improve efficiencies. The year also marked the first full year that Church & Dwight operated a new plant in Victorville, CA, to more efficiently deliver laundry products to West Coast retailers.

In March, the company inked a deal with Major League Baseball Properties (MLBP). The multi-year, multi-category sponsorship agreement made Arm & Hammer and OxiClean “The Official Laundry Detergent and Stain Remover of MLB.” This marks the largest sponsorship deal for Church & Dwight and the first-of-its kind for MLBP across several categories including fabric, pet and oral care.

“This partnership allows us to combine the power of two great American icons to reach families in a new way,” said CEO James Craigie. “Whether young or old, baseball is a sport inextricably linked with having fun and getting dirty- and no brands can better solve for the getting dirty aspect than Arm & Hammer and OxiClean.”

For the first quarter, sales rose 1.2% to $782 million, as volume gains of 4.4% were partially offset by a 3.2% negative price mix—with couponing and slotting fees accounting for about two-thirds of higher costs. On a product basis, greater demand for Oxiclean liquid detergent were offset by lower sales of Arm & Hammer and Xtra laundry detergents.

To survive and thrive in the highly competitive markets it competes in, Craigie often reminds analysts and shareholders that Church & Dwight ferociously defends its brands with aggressive promotion, a strong acquisition program and attention to total shareholder return.

Sales: $2.3 billion for household, personal care and oral care products.
Corporate sales: $2.9 billion. Net income: $350 million.

Corporate sales rose 7% last year, which the company attributed, in part, to higher sales of Arm & Hammer liquid laundry detergent, Xtra liquid laundry detergent, Oxiclean laundry additives and the new A&H Crystal Burst unit does laundry detergent. These gains were partially offset by lower sales of A&H powder detergent, Spinbrush toothbrushes and Arrid deodorant. Organic sales growth rose 5%.

CEO Jim Craigie is never shy about promoting Church & Dwight’s performance since he took over in 2004. During those nine years, the company’s total shareholder return of 145% easily outdistanced No. 2 Colgate. He credits C&D’s strong results to several factors, including:

• Recession-resistant product portfolio;
• A balanced portfolio of 60% premium and 40% value products;
• Power brands (8 brands Arm & Hammer, OxiClean, Trojan, Spinbrush, Xtra, Orajel, Nair and First Response account for more than 80% of sales);
• Ferociously defending its brands;
• Driving international growth (international accounted for 18% of sales in 2012, up from 2% in 2001);
• Expanding gross margin (from 29.1% in 2001 to 44.2% in 2012);
• Strong acquisitions (seven of the eight power brands were acquired since 2000);
• Free cash flow management;
• Superior overhead management (at $671,000 per employee, C&D has the highest revenue per employee than any major CPG company);
• Expert management; and
• Attention to total shareholder return.

Craigie is taking C&D’s power brands into new areas including manual toothbrushes (an $800 million category); cold sores ($200 million), dishwashing additives ($140 million) and sexual lubricants ($250 million). For the first quarter of 2013, sales rose nearly 13% to nearly $780 million.

In May, the company dedicated its new worldwide headquarters in Ewing, NJ. The facility has capacity for more than 550 employees. It occupies 250,000-square-feet and features two connecting 125,000-square-foot, energy-efficient office buildings separated by an atrium. The new headquarters centralizes employees previously housed in four separate buildings. All corporate departments of Church & Dwight are based at the new facility, including the executive offices, sales, marketing, Operations, finance, accounting, IT, law and HR. The R&D team and  Specialty Products Division remains in the former headquarters building in Princeton.