Colgate-Palmolive history

Now called William Colgate and Company, the firm expanded its manufacturing operations to a Jersey City, New Jersey, factory in 1820; this factory produced Colgate’s two major products, Windsor toilet soaps and Pearl starch.

In 1873 Colgate began selling toothpaste in ajar, followed 23 years later by the introduction of Colgate Ribbon Dental Cream, in the now familiar collapsible tube.

In 1890 Madison University in Hamilton, N.Y., was renamed Colgate University in recognition of the Colgate family’s longtime financial support.

1898: B.J. Johnson Soap Company (later renamed Palmolive Company) introduces Palmolive soap.

1910: Colgate moves from original location to Jersey City, New Jersey.

In 1916, the Johnson company incorporated and changed its name to Palmolive in recognition of its popular brand. It opened its first overseas facility; a factory in Toronto, Canada, in 1913; and began selling in England during the same year.

In 1916, the Johnson company incorporated and changed its name to Palmolive in recognition of its popular brand.

Public Company Incorporated: 1923 as the Eastern Operating CompanyEmployees: 24,100Sales: $5.04 billionStock Exchanges: New York Amsterdam Frankfurt London Paris Zürich

1928: Colgate and Palmolive-Peet merge, forming Colgate-Palmolive-Peet Company.

In the wake of the crash, the Colgate family regained control of Colgate-Palmolive-Peet and installed Bayard Colgate as president in 1933.

Colgate-Palmolive Company United StatesA. is the company's ultimate holding company.Colgate-Palmolive (India) Ltd was incorporated in the year 1937.

By 1939 Colgate-Palmolive-Peet's sales hit $100 million.

He joined the company in 1946 as a management trainee and rose through the sales and marketing ranks both in the United States and overseas.

1947: Fab detergent and Ajax cleanser are introduced.

The current corporate name was adopted in 1953.

In 1955 Colgate-Palmolive lost its number-one ranking in the toothpaste market when the rival consumer-goods manufacturer Procter & Gamble Co. began selling Crest, the first toothpaste with fluoride.

Six years later it became the Colgate-Palmolive Company and in 1956 established its headquarters on Park Avenue in New York.

Amway history, profile and corporate video Jay Van Andel and Richard DeVos, a pair of direct sales veterans, launched Amway in 1959.

In 1960 George H. Lesch was appointed Colgate’s president in the hopes that his international experience would produce similar success in the domestic market.

In an attempt to expand beyond these traditional, highly competitive businesses into new growth areas, Colgate also successfully introduced a new food wrap called Baggies in 1963.

Sales topped the $1 billion mark in 1967.

1968: Colgate toothpaste is reformulated with fluoride; Ultra Brite is introduced.

In 1971, for example, the company began selling British Wilkinson Sword Company razors and blades in the United States and other countries.

In 1972 Colgate-Palmolive acquired Kendall & Company, a manufacturer of hospital and industrial supplies.

In 1973, Colgate acquired Helena Rubinstein, a major cosmetics manufacturer with strong foreign sales but a weak United States presence.

The partnership never materialized, however, and Lakeside was sold in 1974.

Foster had become chairman in 1975.

In an effort to remedy this problem and broaden its product mix, Colgate moved into food marketing in 1976 with the acquisition of Riviana Foods, a major producer of Texas long-grain rice, with its own subsidiaries in the pet food, kosher hot dog, and candies businesses.

In 1977 declines in the price of rice seriously eroded Riviana’s cash flow.

According to a complaint filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Colgate had failed or refused to hire people between the ages of 40 and 70 since 1978 and had also deprived employees in that age group of opportunities for promotion.

In 1979, embattled by a series of marketing failures and the pressures of an acquisition strategy that yielded more losers than winners, Foster suddenly resigned, citing ill health.

Colgate finally sold the business in 1980 to Albi Enterprises.

In 1981 the company lost a suit brought by United Roasters, who successfully argued that Colgate had violated the terms of a contract between the two firms for Colgate to market Bambeanos, a soybean snack produced by United Roasters, and was awarded $950,000.

By the end of 1982, Crane had also begun to have problems at Colgate.

In the year 1983 the company introduced their successful product Colgate Plus toothbrush in the market.

Colgate had acquired a 50% interest in this company in 1985.

Two years into this strategic reorganization, coinciding with Mark’s appointment as chairman in 1986, Colgate confronted an embarrassing controversy.

In 1987 Colgate-Palmolive helped fund the revitalization of Wadleigh School in New York City, a junior high with a crumbling infrastructure and a disastrous academic record.

In June 1988 the company established a wholly owned subsidiary at Hetanda in Nepal to manufacture the toothpaste and tooth powder initially.

The revitalization plan, for which ground was broken in 1990, included proposals for offices, parks, housing units, a hotel, and a marina.

Colgate® Bright Smiles, Bright Futures™ celebrates 1 Billion children reached since 1991.

The company began marketing the product overseas in 1992 under the name Total, eventually distributing it to 100 countries.

The year 1994 marked a milestone for Colgate-Palmolive marketing strategy.

In 1995 the company announced plans to downsize 3,000 jobs and either close or reconfigure 24 of its facilities over the next three years.

"colgate readies $32 mil. launch." advertising age, 28 october 1996.

1997: Total toothpaste is launched in the United States; Colgate takes lead in domestic toothpaste market.

In the year 1998 the company launched Colgate Double Protection toothpaste for the entire family.

After years of criticism and boycotts by animal-rights groups, Colgate-Palmolive established a moratorium on animal testing for its adult personal-care products in 1999.

In the year 2000 the company introduced two new variants to their Palmolive Naturals soap range and revitalised their sandalwood soap.

During the year 2001-02 the company re-launched Colgate Fresh Energy Gel with a refreshing falvour in a unique first-of-its king transparent tube and economy toothpaste.

During the year 2002-03 the company re-launched their flagship brand Colgate Dental Cream.

During the year 2004-05 the company established a state-of-the-art additional toothpaste manufacturing facility at Baddi Himachal Pradesh to meet the growing market demand.

Procter & Gamble reached an agreement to acquire The Gillette Company in January 2005 for $57 billion, which would add Gillette's Oral-B toothbrushes and toothpastes to P&G's Crest line.

During the year 2008-09 the company acquired the remaining 25% shareholding in SS Oral Hygiene Products Pvt Ltd at a total consideration of Rs 77.70 lakh.

During the year 2009-10 the company acquired the remaining 25% shareholdings in Professional Oral Care Products Pvt Ltd and CC Health Care Products Pvt Ltd at a total consideration of Rs 2.40 crore and Rs 69.07 lakh respectively.

In June 2011 Essel Propack Ltd signed a long-term agreement with the company to set up a plant in Goa at an investment of Rs 400 million.

On 22 August 2016 Colgate Palmolive (India) announced the launch of a new electrifying blue gel toothpaste called Colgate Maxfresh PowerFreeze - an intense minty variant packed with icy cooling crystals.

© 2018 Colgate-Palmolive Company.

1 market share in toothpaste worldwide, contributing to our $15.7 billion in net sales worldwide in 2019.

1275.0 crore for the quarter ended March 31 2021 and Domestic net sales for the quarter reported a strong momentum of 20.2% growth.