What Lavo does

Lavo is a Canadian manufacturer and marketer of laundry and cleaning products, founded in 1948 and headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. The company is privately held, operates as a for-profit consumer packaged goods (CPG) firm, and employs between 251 and 500 people. Lavo serves the Canadian household cleaning market, distributing branded laundry detergents and household cleaners under both its corporate name and a portfolio of acquired brand names, including Old Dutch (acquired in 1980), Hertel (acquired in 1999), and Arctic Power (acquired in 2016).

The company's growth strategy has been defined over many decades by inorganic expansion through targeted brand acquisitions rather than by new product development disclosed in the available data. Three acquisition events are documented, each for undisclosed consideration, spanning a 36-year period. This approach has allowed Lavo to consolidate shelf presence across multiple price points and consumer segments within the Canadian laundry and cleaning category, with the acquired brands likely sharing manufacturing infrastructure and distribution relationships across the portfolio.

Lavo's business model centers on mass-market consumer distribution of branded household cleaning products through traditional retail and grocery channels in Canada. The headcount range (251-500 employees) is consistent with mid-sized Canadian CPG manufacturing operations, while the absence of disclosed revenue figures, pricing data, customer lists, or detailed segment information in the source material limits any further granularity on go-to-market execution, channel mix, or end-customer profiles. The company's website (lavo.ca) was inaccessible at the time of source collection, appearing to display only a loading and verification page.

Name

Lavo

Website

https://lavo.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Lavo is a Canadian manufacturer of laundry and cleaning products, founded in 1948 and headquartered in Montreal. The private CPG firm employs 251-500 people and sells established household brands including Hertel, Old Dutch, and Arctic Power through Canadian retail channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Household Cleaning Products

NAICS

Soap and Other Detergent Manufacturing (325611), Soap and Cleaning Compound Manufacturing (32561)

SIC

Soap, Detergents, Cleang Preparations, Perfumes, Cosmetics (2840)

akta.pro primary industry

Fabric Softeners & Conditioners (Liquid, Sheets, Beads) (CRADAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Nonfood Grocery & HBC Wholesale (Paper, Cleaning, Personal Care) (AFAIABAL), Water & Home System Care (Water Softeners, Septic Treatments, Drain/Openers, Appliance Cleaners) (CRADAKAK)

Keywords

• Laundry detergents
• Household cleaners
• Dishwashing products
• Fabric care
• Cleaning supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

Montreal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Core offering

Lavo manufactures and markets laundry and cleaning products for household consumers. Its portfolio includes detergents, cleaners, and related cleaning items sold under the Lavo master brand as well as acquired heritage brands such as Arctic Power, Hertel, and Old Dutch, serving Canadian household consumers through established retail channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Arctic Power A household cleaning/laundry product brand acquired by Lavo in 2016, now part of the company's branded household cleaning portfolio.
• Hertel brand A household cleaning/laundry product brand acquired by Lavo in 1999, now part of the company's branded household cleaning portfolio.
• Old Dutch A household cleaning/laundry product brand acquired by Lavo in 1980, now part of the company's branded household cleaning portfolio.
• Lavo household cleaning and laundry products The core Lavo-branded line of laundry and cleaning products (including detergents, cleaners, and related household cleaning items) sold to Canadian household consumers.

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights1 record

Broad incumbents

• Procter & Gamble: Global CPG giant that owns leading laundry and household cleaning brands (Tide, Gain, Mr. Clean, Cascade). It is comparable to Lavo as a large-scale manufacturer of overlapping laundry and home cleaning product categories, though it operates globally with vastly broader portfolio and R&D resources.
• Unilever: Multinational CPG company with major laundry and home care brands (Persil, all, Omo, Sunlight). It is comparable to Lavo as a manufacturer of laundry detergents and household cleaners, but with a much larger geographic footprint and a stronger sustainability/eco positioning.
• Henkel: German CPG company operating the Laundry & Home Care division with brands such as Persil, Purex, and all. It is comparable to Lavo as a direct manufacturer of laundry detergents and cleaning agents, though with deeper technology investment and global distribution.
• The Clorox Company: Major North American CPG manufacturer of household cleaning and laundry additives (Clorox bleach, Pine-Sol, Fresh Step). It is comparable to Lavo as a branded household cleaning products manufacturer, with overlap in surface and specialty cleaning categories.
• S.C. Johnson & Son: Privately held global CPG company with extensive laundry and home cleaning portfolio (Windex, Scrubbing Bubbles, Mrs. Meyer's). It is comparable to Lavo as a private, multi-category household cleaning manufacturer, sharing the privately-held family business structure.
• Colgate-Palmolive: Global CPG manufacturer with significant home care and laundry detergent lines (Palmolive, Ajax, Fab). It is comparable to Lavo as a multi-brand CPG cleaning products manufacturer, though with much larger scale and broader personal care integration.

Direct peers

• Church & Dwight: US-based CPG company that owns value-tier laundry brands (Xtra, Arm & Hammer) and household cleaning lines. It is a strong direct peer to Lavo given its focus on mid-tier laundry detergents and home care, with overlapping value-brand positioning similar to Old Dutch.
• Sun Products (Henkel): North American value-tier laundry detergent brand (Sun, all) now owned by Henkel. It is a direct peer to Lavo given its positioning in the mass-market laundry detergent segment overlapping with Old Dutch's value-tier Canadian market.
• Attitude: Canadian-based manufacturer of eco-friendly household and personal care products, including laundry detergents and surface cleaners. It is a direct peer to Lavo as a Canadian CPG brand competing in the same household cleaning aisles, with a stronger natural/eco positioning.

Emerging players

• Better Life: US-based natural and plant-derived cleaning products brand covering laundry and surface care. It is comparable to Lavo as a cleaning products CPG brand targeting sustainability-minded consumers, though smaller and focused on the natural segment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lavo-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A3 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lavo