Godrej Buys Hexit From Agrevo

Godrej Hi Care (GHCL), the largest player in the local household insecticides market, has acquired the Hexit brand from Hoechst Schering AgrEvo.

The Hexit brand comprises a range of aerosols and sprays for protection against household insects like flies, mosquitoes and cockroaches.

GHCL managing director, A Mahendran, said, "We were offered the brand by Hoechst with whom we have very good relations. Hoechst wanted to focus on their other businesses and it offered us a good opportunity for reinforcing our leadership in the aerosols segment."

The deal would provide GHCL the manufacturing as well as the marketing rights of the Hexit brand. However, GHCL has allowed the manufacturing to be continued by Hoechst due to the latter's excellent production facilities and quality of production.

 

GHCL currently enjoys more than 50 per cent marketshare in the domestic household insecticides market through its vast range of mosquito repellent mats, machines, vaporisers, aerosols, sprays, coils, creams and chalks. It is the world's largest producer of mosquito repellent mats. In the aerosols segments, GHCL's brands, -Hit and Jet- together have more than 60 per cent market share. The addition of the Hexit brand will help in increasing the market share to 70 per cent.

Commenting on GHCL's leadership strategy, Mahendran said, "We would like to maintain our leadership by offering customers better and hi-quality products." The company has already invested in a state of the art R&D centre at Mumbai. The centre has latest equipment and qualified personnel for conducting research on bio-pesticides etc., insect resistance, dispensing devices and pesticide evaluation. The centre aims to develop environmentally safe, effective and economic formulations for total pest control.

GHCL is joint venture between the Godrej group and Sara Lee Corporation, a world leader in consumer products. The company owns the GoodKnight, Jet , Banish and Hit brands.