With a continuous expansion in it's product line, Colgate-Palmolive is taking on the look of one of the most stable stocks on the exchange. Colgate has a wide variety of products sold around the globe including, Colgate
Toothpastes, Speed Stick Deodorants, Ajax Surface Cleaner, and Hill's Science
Diet foods for house pets. Colgate was founded in 1806 in New York City on Dutch Street by William
Colgate as a starch, soap and candle business. Colgate produced soaps and perfumes or the next 67 years and then in 1873, they introduced their first toothpastes, which were aromatic toothpastes. Then 13 years later, they introduced the first dental creme packaged in collapsible tubes similar to those used today. After 104 years of being in business on Dutch Street, the largest tenancy on record in New York City the entire Colgate organization moved to
Jersey City. In 1928 Colgate made its greatest merger of all time with the
Palmolive-Peet Company and in 1953 took on its present name of Colgate-Palmolive. By 1967 Colgate-Palmolive was on a roll with sales passing the 1 billion dollar mark. In the years after, Colgate began acquiring major companies and expanding its product line with the purchases of Hill's Pet Products in 1976, the Mennen
Company in 1992 and in 1993 acquired the liquid soap brands of S.C. Johnson. Before the purchase of Mennen Co. in 1992, Colgate Palmolive had no major presence in the deodorant industry. With the purchase of Mennen Co. they held
16% of the deodorant market but had to compete with Proctor and Gamble, who held
26% of the market with products such as Sure, Secret and Old Spice. After the purchase of Mennen Co., which was easily purchased without resist for $670 million in cash, Colgate-Palmolive held 16% of the deodorant market with their Speed Stick and Lady Speed Stick deodorants, which are now the leading in world wide sales of deodorants. They also now own products under the
Baby Magic name
Bibliography: Financial World-June 20,1995 p 58 "Top Dog-How Hills Pet Nutrition became one of the all-time stars in the Colgate stable" Colgate-Palmolive via Internet Money Online via Internet Chicago Tribune-Feb. 14, 1992