Nurofen. Strepsils. Dettol. Durex. Lemsip.
These are some of the best-known household brands on the shelves. Chances are you will have at least one of them in your cupboard.
They also have one thing in common – all are developed by RB. In fact, many of the company’s impressive portfolio of products are manufactured at its historic site in Hull.
Other brands under the RB name include Harpic, Brasso, Mr Sheen and Veet. The list is endless.
RB is today one of the world’s most innovative and successful businesses, leading the way across the globe in consumer health and hygiene.
It is difficult therefore, to imagine a world-class business growing from humble beginnings.
But RB, like all businesses, started somewhere, and that place was Hull.
The story began with Isaac Reckitt’s relocation to Hull in 1840.
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The son of Thomas Reckitt, a farmer from Wainfleet in Lincolnshire, the ambitious businessman borrowed capital to lease a starch business in the city, renting an existing mill in Dansom Lane to begin the story of Reckitts.
Starting with a workforce of just 25 people, by 1852 Reckitt’s Blue and Reckitt’s Black Lead were added to Isaac Reckitt’s considerable starch interests.
The result was the formation of Reckitt & Sons Ltd as a private company on January 1, 1879.
The business was growing fast, and Thomas Ferens - a name widely known and respected in Hull to this day - was taken on as a shorthand and confidential clerk to James Reckitt, Isaac’s son.
Reckitts’ interest in research and development and global ambition was demonstrated as early as the 1880s when the presence of the first laboratory was recorded, and, just four years later, when the first overseas office opened in Sydney, Australia.
Despite rapid growth, Reckitts’ roots remained in Hull and the company maintained a powerful commitment to supporting its staff, as well as the local community.
The Reckitt family and directors built Garden Village in east Hull, comprising of more than 600 houses, rest homes, a club house and village hall for its factory workers, with James Reckitt personally donating £100,000 to the development and laying the first brick in 1908.
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James Reckitt fought a campaign to bring public libraries to Hull and, after the cause initially failed, the James Reckitt Library became the first free public library in the city when it opened in Holderness Road in 1892.
By 1912, more than 5,000 people were employed by Reckitts.
A year later, Reckitt & Sons entered into a joint venture with Colman’s in South America. A company merger followed in 1938 to form Reckitt & Colman Ltd.
The company’s home in Dansom Lane, Hull – like so much of the city – was put out of action by heavy bombing during WWII.
In fact, it narrowly avoided complete destruction.
As the business began to recover after the war years, its underlying strength and growth continued to shine through and the number of laboratory staff grew from just 20 in 1939 to more than 50 by 1953.
New laboratories opened in the 1950s marked the beginning of further growth rate in research and development, including the launch of Mr Sheen in Australia in 1970, the test launch of Lemsip in 1968, and the acquisition of Veet from Dae Health Laboratories in 1969, followed by Gaviscon in 1970 and Airwick in 1985.
Reckitt’s range of household products vastly increased again in 1999 after the merger with Dutch-based Benckiser NV.
Household products brought on board included Vanish, Finish and Calgon, and Reckitt Benckiser was born.
Benckiser also brought the Cillit brand to RB, leading to the powerful new surface cleaner, Cillit Bang, which launched in 68 countries in 2005.
The following year saw the acquisition of Boots Healthcare for almost £2bn, which provided another huge platform for growth, this time in the over-the-counter healthcare market.
Recent years have seen further major acquisitions, adding more market leading health and hygiene brands to the RB family.
From a small-scale starch factory, RB has grown to become the most successful multi-national company to come out of Hull.
How to contact Phil Winter and Business Live
Business Live's Hull & East Yorkshire journalist is Phil Winter, also the business editor at the Hull Daily Mail and Hull Live.
You can follow Phil on Twitter @PhilWinterBiz, or on Linkedin by clicking .
Alternatively, email him on philip.winter@reachplc.com, or call 01482 315360.
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