Armor All

Armor All is an American brand of car care products that is manufactured by American company Armored AutoGroup of Danbury, Connecticut, United States. The company markets the product line of sprays, gels, liquids, and wipes to clean, shine, and protect interior and exterior automobile surfaces.

Armor All
Armor All logo(2016).png
Product typeCar care products
OwnerEnergizer Holdings
Introduced1972 (1972)
Previous ownersClorox, McKesson Corporation, Spectrum Brands
TaglineRespect your car
Websitewww.armorall.com

According to patent documents, Armor All typically contains water, PDMS (silicone), diethylene glycol, glycerin, and various additional chemical compounds.[1]

Background and history

1970s

The company that became Armor All was started in 1972 by entrepreneur and marketer Alan Rypinski,[2][3] when Rypinski purchased the marketing rights for the product Trid-on (a name derived from no dirt spelled backward) from inventor Joe Palcher who along with Byron F. Quivey in 1966 a wheelwright in Santa Ana, began selling the product on Main street at his shop. It quickly grew in popularity selling through periodicals like Hot Rod Magazine.[4] Rypinski then patented, rebranded, and marketed Trid-on as Armor All. The first test products were called RT-10 and GT-10.[4] In 1979, Rypinski sold all of the rights to the Armor All brand name and protectant to the San Francisco-based consumer products company McKesson Corporation.[3]

RT-10 Tire and Rubber Treatment
GT-10

1980s

By 1987, Armor All's sales exceeded $100 million and company profits grew to $17 million, and in 1988 Armor All purchased Borden, Inc.'s car care products line, which included well-known name brands such as Rain Dance, Rally, and No. 7.[3] This acquisition significantly broadened the company's product line, which increased the company's gains through 1989.[3] By 1990, the company's net income dropped to less than $20 million, and then sharply worsened to less than $7 million in 1991.[3]

1990s

Sales climbed from a 1990s low of $134 million in 1993 to $217 million in 1995 (fiscal year ended March 31, 1995), as net income climbed back toward $25 million.[3] For the remainder of the decade, Armor All developed the Armor All brand name with a focus on international growth and the introduction of new products.[3]

Nielsen CDG UK was appointed car care distributor for Armor All products by Clorox UK.[5] Nielsen CDG is part of the Convenience Distribution Group supplying petrol (gasoline) stations in the United Kingdom.[6]

Present
Previous logo

In 2010, Clorox sold Armor All and STP to Avista Capital Partners. It named the business Armored AutoGroup. In 2008, Armor All released a complete line of automotive vacuums. In April 2015, the Armored AutoGroup was acquired by Spectrum Brands.[7] Energizer bought the Spectrum Brands auto care business unit (including Armor All, STP and A/C Pro) for $1.25 billion in cash and stock.[8]

References
  1. USA patent US5518533A, Michael W. Howe, "Automotive protectant for use with cleaning compositions", published 21 May 1996
  2. Emmis Communications (Oct 1987). "Orange Coast Magazine". Orange Coast. Emmis Communications: 140–. ISSN 0279-0483.
  3. Armor All company history from Funding Universe company histories
  4. Ricker, Amanda (1 Apr 2010). "Armor All founder and Bozeman resident shares experience with MSU students". Bozeman Daily Chronicle. Montana, USA. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
  5. "Nielsen CDG: Search Armor All". Retrieved September 23, 2010.
  6. "Nielsen CDG: About Us". Archived from the original on September 25, 2009. Retrieved September 23, 2010.
  7. "HRG Group, Inc. Announces Armored AutoGroup Acquisition By Spectrum Brands" (Press release).
  8. Balu, Nivedita (2018-11-15). "Energizer adds Armor All, STP brands in $1.25 billion Spectrum deal". Reuters. London. Archived from the original on 2019-04-25. Retrieved 2019-06-26.
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