Colgate-Palmolive Company
Company History
Colgate-Palmolive History: Founding, Growth & Key Milestones
Founded 1806 in New York City, New York
When was Colgate-Palmolive founded?
Colgate-Palmolive was founded in 1806 in New York City, New York by William Colgate, making it 220 years old.
- Founded
- 1806
- Founding place
- New York City, New York
- Founders
- William Colgate
- Headquarters today
- New York, New York
- Milestones documented
- 13 (1806–2025)
- Current CEO
- Noel Wallace
- Acquisitions
- 6
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1806 | William Colgate Opens His Business |
| 1873 | First Colgate Toothpaste |
| 1896 | Colgate Ribbon Dental Cream |
| 1928 | Merger With Palmolive-Peet |
| 1976 | Hill's Pet Nutrition Acquired |
| 1987 | Softsoap Acquired |
| 1992 | Mennen Acquired |
| 1997 | Colgate Total Launches in the U.S. |
| 2006 | Tom's of Maine Acquired |
| 2019 | Filorga Acquired and Noel Wallace Becomes CEO |
| 2020 | hello Products Acquired |
| 2022 | Red Collar Pet Foods Plants Acquired |
| 2025 | Skin Health Impairment and Record Cash Flow |
- Where was Colgate-Palmolive founded?
- Colgate-Palmolive was founded in New York City, New York in 1806.
- When did Colgate-Palmolive start?
- Colgate-Palmolive was founded in 1806.
- Who founded Colgate-Palmolive?
- Colgate-Palmolive was founded by William Colgate.
- How old is Colgate-Palmolive?
- Colgate-Palmolive is 220 years old as of 2026.
Founding Story
In 1806, 23-year-old William Colgate opened a starch, soap and candle business on Dutch Street in New York City. After his death in 1857 his son Samuel led the renamed Colgate & Company, which sold its first toothpaste in jars in 1873 and launched Colgate Ribbon Dental Cream in a collapsible tube in 1896. In 1928 it merged with Palmolive-Peet, maker of the palm and olive oil Palmolive soap, and the company took the name Colgate-Palmolive in 1953.
Founders
William Colgate
William Colgate founded the business in 1806 in New York City, making starch, soap and candles. After his death in 1857, his son Samuel Colgate led Colgate & Company, which introduced toothpaste in jars in 1873 and Colgate Ribbon Dental Cream in a collapsible tube in 1896. A separate lineage began with the B.J. Johnson Soap Company in Milwaukee (1864), which created Palmolive soap from palm and olive oils in 1898, became The Palmolive Company, and merged with Peet Brothers in 1926. Colgate & Company and Palmolive-Peet merged in 1928, and the combined company adopted the Colgate-Palmolive name in 1953. William Colgate was born in 1783.
Key Milestones
William Colgate Opens His Business
William Colgate opens a starch, soap and candle business on Dutch Street in New York City.
Source: colgatepalmolive.comFirst Colgate Toothpaste
Colgate & Company sells its first toothpaste, an aromatic paste in glass jars.
Source: colgatepalmolive.comColgate Ribbon Dental Cream
Colgate introduces toothpaste in a collapsible tube, a format that shaped the modern oral care aisle.
Source: colgatepalmolive.comMerger With Palmolive-Peet
Colgate & Company merges with Palmolive-Peet to form Colgate-Palmolive-Peet; the name is shortened to Colgate-Palmolive in 1953.
Source: colgatepalmolive.comHill's Pet Nutrition Acquired
Colgate-Palmolive acquires Hill's, maker of Science Diet and Prescription Diet pet foods.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgSoftsoap Acquired
Colgate buys the Softsoap liquid soap business from Minnetonka Corporation.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgMennen Acquired
Colgate acquires The Mennen Company, adding Speed Stick and Lady Speed Stick deodorants.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgColgate Total Launches in the U.S.
After FDA approval, Colgate Total launches in the United States, helping Colgate overtake Crest as the No. 1 U.S. toothpaste.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgTom's of Maine Acquired
Colgate acquires an 84% stake in natural personal care brand Tom's of Maine for about $100 million.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgFilorga Acquired and Noel Wallace Becomes CEO
Noel Wallace becomes CEO in April, and Colgate completes the roughly $1.69 billion acquisition of French skincare brand Filorga.
Source: en.wikipedia.orghello Products Acquired
Colgate acquires hello, a natural oral care brand popular with younger shoppers.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgRed Collar Pet Foods Plants Acquired
Hill's buys three U.S. dry pet food plants from Red Collar Pet Foods for $700 million to expand capacity.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgSkin Health Impairment and Record Cash Flow
Net sales reach $20.382 billion; GAAP EPS falls 25% on skin health impairment charges while operating cash flow hits a record $4.2 billion.
Source: businesswire.comMajor Acquisitions
Hill's Pet Nutrition
1976Added science-based pet food sold through veterinarians.
The Mennen Company
1992Added Speed Stick and Lady Speed Stick deodorants.
Tom's of Maine
2006Added a natural oral and personal care brand (84% stake).
Filorga
2019Entered prestige skincare and travel retail.
hello Products
2020Added a natural, design-led oral care brand aimed at younger consumers.
Red Collar Pet Foods (three plants)
2022Added U.S. dry pet food manufacturing capacity for Hill's.
Keep researching Colgate-Palmolive
Colgate-Palmolive Company History FAQ
What were the major corporate milestones of Colgate from 1806 to 1900?
Founded in 1806 by William Colgate, the company introduced perfumed soap in 1866, aromatic toothpaste in jars in 1873, and collapsible toothpaste tubes (Colgate Ribbon Dental Cream) in 1896, paying its first dividend on common stock in 1895.
How did the 1928 merger form the modern Colgate-Palmolive Company?
In 1928, Colgate & Company merged with the Palmolive-Peet Company (formed from the 1926 union of Palmolive and Peet Brothers) to create Colgate-Palmolive-Peet Company, unifying America's leading soap and dental cream manufacturers into a consumer goods leader.
When was the company renamed to Colgate-Palmolive Company and listed on the NYSE?
The company officially shortened its name to Colgate-Palmolive Company in 1953 and solidified its listing on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CL), establishing its long-standing corporate headquarters on Park Avenue in Manhattan, New York.
What major international expansion took place during the 1980s and 1990s?
Under then-CEO Reuben Mark, Colgate expanded rapidly across developing markets following the collapse of the Soviet bloc and opening of China, acquiring Softsoap (1987), Mennen (1992), and Kolynos in Latin America (1995), capturing #1 oral care share in over 50 countries.
When did Colgate launch the breakthrough Colgate Total toothpaste?
In 1997, Colgate launched Colgate Total in the United States after gaining FDA approval for its patented 12-hour antibacterial formula that fights plaque, gingivitis, and cavities, propelling Colgate past Crest to become the #1 toothpaste in the US.
How did Colgate transform its oral health packaging for sustainability in 2019?
In 2019, Colgate engineered the world's first fully recyclable High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) toothpaste tube recognized by the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR), open-sourcing the design to rival manufacturers to eliminate billions of multi-layer plastic tubes from landfills.
What milestones did Hill's Pet Nutrition achieve in 2023 and 2024?
Hill's expanded capacity in recent years, including a wet pet food plant in Tonganoxie, Kansas, and three dry food plants bought from Red Collar Pet Foods in 2022 for $700 million.
What are Colgate-Palmolive's primary strategic priorities for the next decade?
Colgate-Palmolive is focused on premium, science-led oral care, growing Hill's Pet Nutrition, professional skin health brands, productivity savings that fund advertising, and its long record of annual dividend increases.
When was Colgate founded?
The company was founded all the way back in 1806 by William Colgate in New York City. It originally sold soap and candles. The modern company was formed in 1928 when Colgate merged with the Palmolive-Peet company.
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