Colgate-Palmolive vs Procter & Gamble: Founders, CEOs and History

Company facts

Founders

CEOs and their tenures

Timeline: Colgate-Palmolive and Procter & Gamble side by side

1. 1806Colgate-Palmolive

   William Colgate Opens His Business

   William Colgate opens a starch, soap and candle business on Dutch Street in New York City.

2. 1837Procter & Gamble

   Company Founded in Cincinnati

   William Procter and James Gamble sign a partnership agreement on October 31, 1837, establishing Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati, Ohio, with combined capital of approximately 7,192 dollars.

3. 1862Procter & Gamble

   Civil War Army Contracts Fuel Expansion

   P&G wins contracts to supply the Union Army with soap and candles, generating significant revenue that enables manufacturing expansion and introduces millions of American soldiers to P&G products for the first time.

4. 1873Colgate-Palmolive

   First Colgate Toothpaste

   Colgate & Company sells its first toothpaste, an aromatic paste in glass jars.

5. 1882Procter & Gamble

   Ivory Soap Launches Nationally

   Harley Procter and James Norris Gamble introduce Ivory soap, promoted as 99 and 44/100 percent pure and notable for its floating characteristic.

6. 1890Procter & Gamble

   Company Incorporates and Expands Nationally

   Procter & Gamble incorporates in Ohio with capital of 4.5 million dollars and begins building manufacturing capacity outside Cincinnati, establishing the operational infrastructure for national distribution that the Ivory soap advertising campaign had created…

7. 1896Colgate-Palmolive

   Colgate Ribbon Dental Cream

   Colgate introduces toothpaste in a collapsible tube, a format that shaped the modern oral care aisle.

8. 1911Procter & Gamble

   Crisco Shortening Introduced

   P&G launches Crisco vegetable shortening, the first hydrogenated vegetable oil product marketed to American consumers as an alternative to lard and butter.

9. 1928Colgate-Palmolive

   Merger With Palmolive-Peet

   Colgate & Company merges with Palmolive-Peet to form Colgate-Palmolive-Peet; the name is shortened to Colgate-Palmolive in 1953.

10. 1931Procter & Gamble

    Brand Management System Invented

    P&G executive Neil McElroy writes a famous internal memo proposing that each brand have its own dedicated management team responsible for competing against all rivals including other P&G brands.

11. 1946Procter & Gamble

    Tide Detergent Launches

    P&G introduces Tide synthetic detergent, which rapidly becomes the best-selling laundry product in the United States and establishes the template for all future P&G brand development: superior product performance, heavy consumer advertising, and sustained mark…

12. 1961Procter & Gamble

    Pampers Diapers Introduced

    P&G introduces Pampers disposable diapers, transforming the infant care category and creating what will become one of the company's most globally significant brands.

13. 1976Colgate-Palmolive

    Hill's Pet Nutrition Acquired

    Colgate-Palmolive acquires Hill's, maker of Science Diet and Prescription Diet pet foods.

14. 1987Colgate-Palmolive

    Softsoap Acquired

    Colgate buys the Softsoap liquid soap business from Minnetonka Corporation.

15. 1992Colgate-Palmolive

    Mennen Acquired

    Colgate acquires The Mennen Company, adding Speed Stick and Lady Speed Stick deodorants.

16. 1997Colgate-Palmolive

    Colgate 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.

17. 2005Procter & Gamble

    Gillette Acquired for 57 Billion Dollars

    P&G completes the acquisition of Gillette Company for approximately 57 billion dollars in an all-stock transaction, adding Gillette razors, Braun appliances, Oral-B dental products, and Duracell batteries to the P&G portfolio.

18. 2006Colgate-Palmolive

    Tom's of Maine Acquired

    Colgate acquires an 84% stake in natural personal care brand Tom's of Maine for about $100 million.

19. 2014Procter & Gamble

    Portfolio Transformation Announced

    CEO A.G. Lafley announces P&G's plan to divest more than 100 brands and focus the company on approximately 80 core brands in ten product categories.

20. 2019Colgate-Palmolive

    Filorga 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.

21. 2019Procter & Gamble

    Portfolio Simplification Completed

    P&G completes the brand portfolio simplification, having divested more than 100 brands and consolidated around approximately 65 core brands.

22. 2020Colgate-Palmolive

    hello Products Acquired

    Colgate acquires hello, a natural oral care brand popular with younger shoppers.

23. 2022Colgate-Palmolive

    Red 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.

24. 2024Procter & Gamble

    Fiscal Year 2024 Net Sales Reach Approximately 84 Billion Dollars

    P&G reports fiscal year 2024 net sales of $84.0 billion and net earnings attributable to P&G of about $14.9 billion, and raises its quarterly dividend 7% to $1.0065 per share, its 68th consecutive annual increase.

25. 2025Colgate-Palmolive

    Skin 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.

Acquisitions

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