Paterson, Zochonis and Company Limited was founded in 1879 by George Henry Paterson and George Basil Zochonis when they set up a trading post in Sierra Leone. The company moved to Britain in 1884, opening an office in Liverpool. The firm focused on trade with the West African market, and no goods were manufactured within the company, they instead exported goods with their own trademarks. The company opened a head office in Manchester in 1886, as well as opening further branches in Sierra Leone. Further expansion in 1896 meant branches were opened in Liberia and Guinea, followed by Nigeria in 1899 and Cameroon in 1920. In 1954 the company became public and continued to expand with a new office in Aba. In the 1970s it discontinued the trade of cotton fabrics. Further offices were opened in both Lagos and Ghana in the 1970s. In 1972 the company bought Roberts Laboratories of Bolton. In 1975 the company bought the Cussons Group and the 1990s the company had established more dominant trading links with Eastern Europe, China, South East Asia and Australia. Eventually the brand adopted the name of Cussons (International), later changed to PZ Cussons (UK), which continues to operate at the time of writing.

Geoffrey Blackburn was born in Barnsley, Yorkshire. He became an employee of Paterson Zochonis, textile exporters.