Kiwi shoe polish is a popular brand of shoe polish in Kenya and other parts of the world. William Ramsay founded the Company in Australia back in 1906.
Ramsay chose the name “Kiwi” because of his New Zealand heritage.
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Kiwi gained popularity during World War I as the soldiers used it to polish their boots.
Its popularity grew after the war, and it became a household name in many countries.
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Ramsay died in 1914, at the age of 47, and his sons John and Tom Ramsay took over the reins.
His brother, James, took control of the British operations while Jack was picked as a director.
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Ramsay’s widow became one of the directors of the firm.
Between 1914 and 1924, Kiwi had markets in almost 50 countries.
Merger of Operations
The directors merged Australian and British operations in January 1916 to form Kiwi Polish Company Pty Ltd.
John Ramsay was picked as Chairman with the Company’s headquarters in Richmond.
Kiwi Polish Company Pty Ltd had factories in four other countries, Britain, France, New Zealand and the United States by 1950.
Additionally, the Company’s products reached more than 116 countries.
A new Company by the name Kiwi International Company Ltd was formed in 1967.
The Company merged with the Australian Pharma company Nicholas International in 1981.
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Sara Lee Corp Purchases Kiwi Company
Sara Lee Corp bought Kiwi Shoe Polish Company in 1984.
Lee also acquired Meltonian and other large shoe care brands.
Ten years later, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission barred the company from acquiring additional assets in the shoe care industry to prevent it from monopolising.
In the United Kingdom, the Competition Commission launched an investigation into Sara Lee’s potential monopoly in the shoe care industry.
Current Owners
On April 4, 2011, Sara Lee sold its global shoe care business, in a majority of countries, to S. C. Johnson.
Fisk Johnson currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of S. C. Johnson.
He joined the family business in 1987 and has served in a variety of management and marketing positions, both domestically and internationally.
Fisk currently serves on the Board of Directors of The Consumer Goods Forum.
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He has also served on the boards of Conservation International, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, and Conservation International’s Center for Environmental Leadership in Business.
Fisk has been privileged to serve on two federal advisory committees, as a member of the U.S. President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology from 2019 to 2021.
He was also a member of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative’s Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations from 2002 to 2010 and again from 2011 to 2023.
5 Generations of SC Johnson
SC Johnson has been handled by five generations since it was established by Samuel Curtis Johnson in 1833.
Samuel created Johnson’s Prepared Wax to help customers keep their parquet floors in top condition.
The second generation was led by Herbert F. Johnson, Sr, from 1868 to 1928.
Herbet F. Johnson Jr headed the third generation S.C. Johnson between 1899 and 1978.
The fourth generation lasted between 1928 and 2004 headed by Sam Johnson.
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