AKRON, Ohio — The maker of Purell hand sanitizer is reportedly looking for a buyer.
According to a new report from the Wall Street Journal, the Akron-based GOJO Industries hired JPMorgan Chase to conduct an auction with sources telling the newspaper “the company could be valued at around $3 billion.”
WSJ also reports “the company’s bankers are so far focused on selling the business to industry players rather than private-equity firms.”
In response to this report, 3News received the following statement Thursday morning from Samantha Williams, the Strategic Communications Vice President at GOJO: “Because of our many strengths, others have always been interested in buying the company. There is nothing new to report. We continue to be focused on our Purpose of Saving Lives and Making Life Better Through Well-Being Solutions."
Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan also addressed the situation with the following statement provided to 3News: "GOJO has been and will continue to be a cornerstone of the business and civic community here in Akron. As a thriving company, there will always be interested parties but I'm confident in GOJO's commitment to our city."
GOJO got its start in 1946 by husband and wife, Goldie and Jerry Lippman when working to find an effective way for Akron’s rubber factory workers to clean their hands.
“Jerry knew he needed help solving this important human problem,” according to GOJO's company history. “So he visited the chemistry department at Kent State University in search of a chemist to help him develop a hand cleaner that would be effective against difficult soils and safe for skin. He found Professor Clarence Cook, and the two worked together to invent what became the first-ever one-step, rinse-off GOJO Hand Cleaner.”
They mixed batches of the product in their basement and sold the hand cleaner -- which had been packaged in repurposed pickle jars -- out of the trunk of their family car.
Back in May of 2021, 3News’ Russ Mitchell visited GOJO where he talked with the company’s CEO as sales of Purell had soared amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I will say that there were plenty of days when my head was spinning,” Carey Jaros said at the time. “Being surrounded by a team of people who were so committed to our purpose of saving lives and making life better meant that even when my head was spinning, there were a bunch of people in the room and we were all rowin' in the same direction.”
You can watch more of that conversation in the video below: