S.C. JOHNSON EXPANDING ORAL CARE PRODUCT LINE with the acquisition of the Check-Up anti-plaque toothpaste and gum brand from Minnetonka and the West German Henkel Corp. Check-Up, which was a $20 mil. product last year, will go to S.C. Johnson's Rydelle Labs subsidiary and Lion Corp. of Tokyo, which jointly introduced Zact smoker's toothpaste in the U.S. in 1984. Zact was Johnson's first oral care product. The companies have reached a preliminary agreement for acquisition of "substantially all of the assets of Oral Tech Labs," Minnetonka said in a Jan. 21 press release. Oral Tech Labs is a joint venture between Minnetonka and Henkel, formed for the marketing of Check-Up. Although it was the first pump-dispensed toothpaste (introduced in 1984), Check-Up has been squeezed by competition from major marketers Procter & Gamble (Crest) and Colgate-Palmolive (Colgate). Last year's sales of $20 mil. were more than 25% lower than the previous year's. In 1985, volume for the brand was down 7% to $27 mil. In mid-1986, Minnetonka extended the line with a plaque-fighting chewing gum. Check-Up currently holds a 2% share of the anti-plaque toothpaste market, Minnetonka said. The purchase continues a five year effort toward a stronger presence in toiletries by the company previously known best for its Johnson Wax products. In addition to oral care, the firm has been active recently in the skin and hair care markets. S.C. Johnson made its first major foray in the skin care market in 1981 with Soft Sense hand and body lotion. That was followed by the introduction of a more therapeutically-positioned lotion in 1985 called Curel. The firm, which sells Agree, added the Halsa botanically-based line to its hair care offering in 1985, and late last year brought out L'Envie, a line of shampoos and conditioners scented with fragrance mimics of the "classics." Minnetonka is existing the oral care market just after announcing plans to enter two new H&BA markets. The company moved into hair treatment products by acquiring the Italian Foltene lotion for thinning hair and introducing it to the U.S. in January. Minnetonka has also announced plans to move into Rx dermatologics with Tran-sal, a transdermal wart remover.
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