Simoniz USA, Inc. is an American manufacturer of automobile and janitorial cleaning products. The original Simoniz Company was founded in 1910, making it the oldest car care brand in the United States.
History
The Simons Manufacturing Company was founded in 1910 by George Simons, who had developed a cleaner and a
carnauba wax
Carnauba (; ), also called Brazil wax and palm wax, is a wax of the leaves of the carnauba palm '' Copernicia prunifera'' (synonym: ''Copernicia cerifera''), a plant native to and grown only in the northeastern Brazilian states of Ceará, Piau ...
product for car finishes, and Elmer Rich of
the Great Northern Railway. In 1912, Rich and his brother, R.J., acquired full ownership. They changed the name of the firm to Simoniz Company and located the first office and backroom factory at 2121 South Michigan Avenue in Chicago, which was at the time was known as "Automobile Row". Elmer Rich used the prominence of radio to promote his product with the slogan "Motorists Wise, Simoniz".
An Institutional Division was officially organized in 1954, which offered a line of floor waxes, finishes, polishes, cleaners and sponges formulated and packaged expressly for business and large-volume public users.
Vista One-Step Cleaner/Wax made its debut in 1957.
In 1965
Morton International purchased the controlling interest in Simoniz Company, adding Master Wax-Detergent Proof and Smooth-Pre Softened products to the line.
In 1976, Simoniz was acquired by
Union Carbide
Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) is an American chemical company headquartered in Seadrift, Texas. It has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Dow Chemical Company since 2001. Union Carbide produces chemicals and polymers that undergo one or more f ...
. It introduced such products as Shines Like the Sun, Super Poly, Body Guard, Double Wax, Simoniz II, Shine Booster and Super Blue.
In 1986, as a part of the divestiture of Union Carbide, a management-led LBO formed First Brands Corp. and Simoniz was among the brands purchased. In 1988, First Brands entered into a license agreement with Syndet Products, Inc. to manufacture and distribute on-line Simoniz brand products nationally to the car wash industry, which eventually expanded to include detail shop and janitorial/sanitation (JanSan) cleaning products.
In 1997, Syndet Products purchased the Simoniz brand from First Brands Corp., and renamed the company Simoniz USA, Inc.
In popular culture
The term "Simoniz" or "Simonizing" has entered the public lexicon as a means to wax one's car.
References
External links
* {{Official website, https://simoniz.com/
Automotive chemicals
Chemical companies established in 1910
Manufacturing companies based in Connecticut
1910 establishments in Illinois