Colgate-Palmolive is a leading global consumer products company headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1806, it specializes in the production and distribution of oral care, personal care, home care, and pet nutrition products. The company serves consumers in over 200 countries and territories, generating approximately two-thirds of its revenue from markets outside North America.

Core Business Segments

The company operates through two primary segments:
Oral, Personal and Home Care and Pet Nutrition.

Oral Care:
This is the company’s leading category, accounting for more than 40% of total sales. Key products include toothpaste, toothbrushes, and mouthwashes under brands like Colgate, elmex, meridol, and Sorriso.

Personal Care:
Includes liquid hand soaps, bar soaps, shower gels, shampoos, and deodorants. Major brands include Palmolive, Irish Spring, Softsoap, Speed Stick, and Sanex.

Home Care:
Focuses on household cleaning products, including dishwashing liquids (Ajax, Palmolive, Axion) and fabric conditioners (Suavitel, Soupline).

Pet Nutrition:
Operates through its subsidiary Hill’s Pet Nutrition, producing specialty pet foods under the Science Diet and Prescription Diet brands. This segment accounts for approximately one-fifth of company sales.

Historical Evolution

1806:
William Colgate founded a starch, soap, and candle business in New York.

1898:
The B.J. Johnson Company (later Palmolive) introduced Palmolive soap, made from palm and olive oils; by the early 1900s, it was the world’s best-selling soap.

1928:
A major merger between Palmolive-Peet and Colgate & Company formed the Colgate-Palmolive-Peet Company.

1953:
The company officially adopted its current name, Colgate-Palmolive Company.

Strategic Acquisitions:
Key acquisitions that expanded the company include Hill’s Pet Nutrition (1976), Softsoap (1987), Mennen (1992), and Tom’s of Maine (2006).

Financial and Corporate Profile

Revenue:
Reported revenue of approximately $20.1 billion for the trailing twelve months as of late 2025.

Workforce:
Employs an estimated 34,000 people globally.

Public Status:
The company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol CL.

Leadership:
Noel Wallace is the current President and CEO.

Market Position:
It holds a significant market share in several industries, including an estimated 8.1% of the U.S. Soap & Cleaning Compound Manufacturing industry.

Values and Sustainability

Colgate-Palmolive’s strategy focuses on three fundamental values:
Caring, Global Teamwork, and Continuous Improvement. The company operates major community initiatives, such as Bright Smiles, Bright Futures, which has provided dental education and screenings to over half a billion children worldwide. In 1999, the company established a moratorium on animal testing for its adult personal care products.