The owner of Norit and Sanytol celebrates its centenary with an investment plan of 30 million

The Catalan multinational AC Marca, specialized in the production and commercialization of high-consumption chemical products, faces its first centenary with an investment plan of more than 30 million euros aimed at strengthening and expanding its facilities. With a three-year execution period, it includes the construction of an R&D center to develop new products. It will be located in the industrial complex that AC Marca has in Sant Llorenç d'Hortons (Barcelona), where it has two factories, one for home care products and another for personal hygiene products, and a logistics center.

The family business, manufacturer of Norit and Gior, now in the hands of the fourth generation, plans to start construction of the technology center in early 2023, with the goal of it being operational in 2024. It will have a total area of 4,400 square meters distributed over four floors. The building will serve to concentrate the group's 70 professionals working in the R&D area, including scientists, technicians, engineers, and researchers, until now dispersed in the company's different industrial centers based in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat.

More than 30 own brands and presence in 70 countries

The now centenary history of the family company began in a small factory on Indústria Street in Barcelona. After many trips through Germany, its founder, Antonio Marca Caricchio, opted in 1922 for the commercialization of textile dyes for domestic use with Iberia, a brand that already won awards at the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition. Today, the brand still survives and has been modernized with new products such as washing machine wipes to absorb color. Shortly after, in 1928, the company launched Orion, an insecticide brand that was a pioneer in incorporating aerosols and also survives, adding new products over the years such as yellow anti-moth clips.

A few years passed until the company's best-known brand arrived, Norit, born in 1944. It was the first detergent for washing delicate garments, widely popularized by the advertising campaigns starring the lamb that has always accompanied the logo. In 1974, AC Marca innovated with Norit's range of liquid detergents.

The group's internationalization began in 1995 and, two years later, it acquired two leading brands: Giorgi, producer of hair gels, lacquers, and mousses, and Alex, specialized in floor waxes. In 1998, it would acquire Ceys, dedicated to adhesives and DIY, which meant opening a new business area.

With international expansion, the family group accelerated growth based on the purchase of brands that did not fit into the portfolio of large multinationals, maintaining and strengthening them. Over the years, its strategy has proven successful, managing to add brands that are very popular today such as Sanytol (2004), Ecran (2006), Lactovit, Denenes, and Avena Kinesia (2011).

Currently, AC Marca has four business areas ---home care, personal hygiene and care, adhesives and DIY, and pharmacy cosmetics--- and more than 30 own brands, all produced and marketed by the same company. To those mentioned above, we must add Genocután and Genosun ---shower gels and sunscreens---, Hidrogenesse ---shower gels---, Lida ---hand and liquid soaps---, Pilopeptan ---products for female hair loss--- or Yak ---shoe cleaning sponges---.

The company, with a strong industrial component, has six production centers in Spain and three others in France, Mexico, and the Czech Republic. From its headquarters on Avenida Carrilet, the multinational manages 12 subsidiaries in countries such as Portugal, France, Belgium, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, United States, Chile, and Mexico.

The group's turnover in 2021 was close to 359 million euros, with more than 200 million products sold under one of its brands, with which it reaches some 70 countries through subsidiaries and distributors. 60% of the turnover is registered outside Spain. The workforce consists of more than 1,000 employees.