
Brita is a German water filtration brand founded in 1966 by Heinz Hankammer. The brand has a split ownership structure: Brita GmbH, the original German company, remains privately held by the Hankammer family and operates globally except in North America. The Clorox Company (NYSE: CLX) acquired the rights to market and distribute Brita products in North America and select international markets in 1995.
| Brand | Parent Company | Ownership Type |
|---|---|---|
| Brita | The Clorox Company | Wholly owned |
Brita was founded in 1966 by Heinz Hankammer in Taunusstein, Germany. Hankammer developed the first household water filter cartridge, naming the company after his daughter Brita. The company initially focused on providing consumers with improved water quality through filtration technology.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Brita expanded its product line, introducing water pitchers with integrated filtration systems. The brand became known for reducing chlorine, lead, and other contaminants from tap water. The Brita water pitcher became an iconic household product in Germany and later across Europe.
In 1995, The Clorox Company acquired the rights to market and distribute Brita products in North America and select international markets. This partnership allowed Brita to expand rapidly in the United States and Canada, leveraging Clorox's extensive distribution network and marketing capabilities. Under Clorox's management, Brita became the leading water filtration brand in North America.
Brita GmbH continued to operate independently in its remaining markets, expanding across Europe, Asia, and other regions. The company reported record sales of EUR 727 million in 2024, a 5.2% increase from the previous year. By July 2025, annual revenue reached approximately $750 million, with 81% of earnings coming from outside Germany.
In 2025, Brita launched smart water pitchers with real-time filter monitoring and introduced the Brita Cube, a dispenser with heating and UV-C sterilization capabilities. The company's biodegradable filter jugs saw a 10% revenue increase in Europe in Q1 2025.
What does The Clorox Company own?
The Clorox Company owns a portfolio of consumer brands including Clorox bleach and cleaning products, Purell hand sanitizer, Glad trash bags, Pine-Sol cleaner, Burt's Bees personal care, Hidden Valley Ranch dressing, Kingsford charcoal, Brita water filtration, Fresh Step cat litter, and Liquid-Plumr drain cleaner. The company also markets professional products under the CloroxPro and Clorox Healthcare brands.
Is The Clorox Company publicly traded?
Yes, The Clorox Company trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol CLX. The company has been publicly traded since 1928 and is a component of the S&P 500. Ownership is distributed among institutional investors including Vanguard Group and BlackRock.
Who founded The Clorox Company?
The Clorox Company was founded in 1913 in Oakland, California by five entrepreneurs: Archibald Taft, Edward Hughes, Charles Husband, William Hussey, and Rufus Myers. They established the Electro-Alkaline Company to produce bleach using electrolysis of brine from San Francisco Bay.
Where is The Clorox Company headquartered?
The Clorox Company is headquartered in Oakland, California, USA. The company has maintained its headquarters in Oakland since its founding in 1913, making it one of the oldest companies still based in the city.
How many brands does The Clorox Company own?
The Clorox Company owns approximately 15 primary brands across cleaning, household, lifestyle, and personal care categories. The company's portfolio expanded in April 2026 with the acquisition of GOJO Industries, adding the Purell brand.
Who owns The Clorox Company?
The Clorox Company is an independent publicly traded corporation with no controlling shareholder or parent organization. Shares are widely held by institutional investors, mutual funds, and individual shareholders. Major institutional holders include Vanguard Group, BlackRock, and State Street.
What is The Clorox Company's annual revenue?
For fiscal year 2026, which ended June 30, 2026, The Clorox Company reported net sales of $6.72 billion, a 5% decrease from FY2025 net sales of $7.1 billion. The decline was primarily driven by ERP transition-related inventory drawdowns. The company projects FY2027 net sales growth of 13% to 14%.
Has The Clorox Company made major acquisitions recently?
In January 2026, Clorox announced the acquisition of GOJO Industries, maker of Purell hand sanitizer, for $2.25 billion in cash. The deal closed on April 1, 2026. GOJO has approximately $800 million in annual sales and expands Clorox's health and hygiene portfolio to more than half of total net sales.
Brita's sustainability efforts focus on reducing plastic waste through reusable water filtration systems. The company estimates that its products have helped eliminate over 300 million plastic water bottles from landfills since 1995.
Brita operates a filter recycling program that has recycled over 200 million water filters since its inception. The program partners with TerraCycle to ensure proper recycling of filter materials. However, some regions still lack access to convenient filter recycling options, leading to concerns about filter waste in landfills.
Brita GmbH has invested in sustainable manufacturing practices at its production facilities in Germany, the UK, Italy, and China. The company's biodegradable filter jugs saw a 10% revenue increase in Europe in Q1 2025, indicating strong consumer response to sustainability initiatives.
The company designs its products with recyclable materials and has reduced packaging waste. Brita water pitchers are designed for long-term use, reducing the need for frequent replacement. The brand promotes water conservation through education and awareness programs.
Brita has maintained a strong safety record but has faced some challenges related to product quality, filter performance, and marketing claims.
Filter Performance Issues (2019-2021): Brita faced consumer complaints regarding filter performance and lifespan inconsistencies in certain water conditions. Some users reported that filters did not perform as advertised in areas with particularly hard water or high contaminant levels. Brita responded by improving filter formulations and providing clearer guidance on filter replacement timing.
Marketing Claim Scrutiny (2020): Brita faced scrutiny from consumer advocacy groups regarding marketing claims about contaminant removal effectiveness. The company was required to clarify the specific contaminants its products are certified to remove and provide more transparent information about filter testing standards. Brita updated its marketing materials and product documentation accordingly.
Product Recall (2022): Brita issued a voluntary recall for certain water pitcher models manufactured between 2020 and 2021 due to potential quality control issues affecting filter performance. The recall affected approximately 50,000 units. Brita offered free replacements and worked with retailers to remove affected products from shelves.
Filter Disposal Concerns: Environmental advocates have raised concerns about the proper disposal of used water filters, particularly in areas without established recycling programs. While Brita operates a comprehensive recycling program through TerraCycle, some regions lack access to convenient filter recycling options.
No direct competitors found in the same category. This could be because Britaoperates in a unique market segment or we're still building our competitor database.
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