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
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