Albrecht Woeste, Chairman of the Supervisory Board and of the Shareholders’ Committee at Henkel, presented the awards to the winning teams from each of the company’s three business sectors at a ceremony at the company’s headquarters in Düsseldorf, Germany.

The 2008 awards went to the following projects:

• Purex Natural Elements / Terra Activ: The Purex Natural Elements line was able to quickly establish itself as number one in the U.S. market among detergents based on natural raw materials. The innovative formulation combines excellent laundry power and performance with the best possible environmental compatibility. Purex Natural Elements has also served as the conceptual precursor and ground-breaker for the launch of the new Henkel brand Terra Activ, a line of environmentally compatible cleaners being marketed in Europe.

• Drei Wetter Taft Power with the Cashmere Touch: The innovative Schwarzkopf Drei Wetter Taft line, offering “power with the cashmere touch” has been developed especially for dry, tired hair. It is the first product to reconcile two previously contradictory demands: Ultra-strong hold plus unique, cashmere-like suppleness imparted to the hair.

• Pattex “Instant Tack” Assembly Adhesives: The innovative “Instant Tack” assembly adhesives from Henkel are revolutionizing a wide range of application processes by offering a previously unheard-of level of instant adhesion, often eliminating the need for mechanical fasteners such as screws or nails. The formulations have been further developed with pioneering gusto, so that now all Henkel's assembly adhesives – whether water-, solvent- or polymer-based – offer the same instant tack advantages.

The presentation of the Fritz Henkel Award coincides with “Henkel Innovation Day,” a day that serves to remind the company's 55,000 employees of how important new product ideas are as a means securing a more successful future.