The
company had its beginning in Sierra Leone when Mr. G.B Zochonis and Mr. G.H
Paterson met Freetown in the 1870s and formed a trading company by name of
Paterson, Zonchonis and company limited, which was incorporated as a private
company under English law in February 1884 with a registered office in
Liverpool, England. In 1886 the office was transferred from Liverpool to
Manchester which has remained the headquarters of the company ever since.
The main business of the company was that of general
merchants and was active for many years in the export of West Africa products
such as cotton, maize, groundnut, palm products. The company had a number of
trading posts through out West Africa which operated four small coastal sailing
schooners. The first branch of the company was opened in Nigeria at Lagos in
1899. In 1903 a branch was established in Calabar and in 1912 the Nigeria
branch included Ibadan, Iliorin, Oshogbo and Kano, at present the company
operates branches in most major cities and towns of the country.
The Nigerian branch was incorporated in Nigeria in August 1969 as Paterson Zochonis and company (Nigeria) limited and as a wholly owned subsidiary of Paterson Zochonis & co Ltd of Manchester England. The company changed to its present name Pz Cussons in July 2007 with the change heritage of “Pz” is being retained and added to the strength of the “Cussons” internationally recognized brands. This is an amalgamation of the values that have carried the company through one hundred years of Nigerian history with the dynamism of the brands that are responding to customers of Pz products.
Pz Industries products
Soaps and Detergents; They are involved in the manufacturing of laundry soaps
such as Duck bar, tempo bar and tab, zip tab, Canoe tab. Personal care and
toilet soaps ranges comprises of Joy beauty soap, imperial leather, Carex soap,
premier. Detergents comprises of Elephant, Jet, Zip, Tempo, Elephant gold, Elephant
Colour and Rex Detergent.
Health and Beauty; The beauty care are products such as Joy powder, Joy lip gloss, Joy
roil-on, Joy cologne, Venus gold spray, Venus lotion, Venus cream, Desure
cream, Galaxy cream, Stella powder and pomade, Venus skin tone etc. Health care
products comprises of Robb ointment, Supper Robb, Heatol extras, Tazan balm,
Robert Paracetamol, Supper capsule etc. Baby products comprises Cussons baby
soap, Cussons powder, Cussons Jelly, Cussons oil, Cussons lotion, Nigerian baby
jelly, Nigeria baby jell and lotion etc.
Nutrition And Beverages: This also a subsidiary company of Pz industries, which
has started manufacturing of diary products such as Nunu milk, power first,
Olympic and Coast milk. Pz industries have been appointed sole distributors for
these products and will derive a fee income for its services.
PZ Electronics:
Pz industries is also involved in
manufacturing and marketing of house hold appliances and electronics. which
comprises Hairer Thermo cool appliances such as Refrigerators, Gas cookers,
Fans, Electric iron, Microwave ovens, Air-conditioners, Television, Home
theatre ,water dispensers apart from the production of Pharmaceuticals,
Electronics, Medicaments, Perfumes, Nutrition and Beverage products, Pz industries
Plc also produces and exports Crude glycerin, a bye-product of soap production
and palm kernel cake, a bye-product of palm kernel oil PKO) production. Pz
industries were one of the first to introduce and apply modern techniques in
the production of soap in Nigeria as opposed the former local methods of
production. Even more interesting to note is the automation of most of their
manufacturing processes to reduce human labour, reducing production time while
increasing efficiency and output tremendously.
An essential fact of the organizational structure is
that individuals where they are on the ladder and what to aspire to become,
certain technical staff have a limit to which they can rise, but any of the top
managers can be promoted or appointed a director to take care of his special
area at the policy making level. A business set up without a clear
organizational structure does not inspire any worker. At times when people rise
to the top of their structure, they become frustrated after years when there is
nothing to aspire to any longer. The management then has to be very imaginative
and create challenges for them while continuing to ensure good incentives. For
some organizations with branches, a hard working staff in such position may be
sent to go and revamp another branch.
As noted by Pine and Galimore (2009), for any
organization to experience any strategic changes in its business, there should
be a good communication process passed on through the organizational structure
to present a clear picture of the new policies and strategies. Organizations
have good and effective means of information through its staff. Its
organizational change is strategically achieved through the staff by clear
definition of responsibilities by each level of the structure in the
organization (Pine Galimore 2009).