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A proud history In 1806, William Colgate founded the company that bears his name as a maker of starch, soap, and candles. Later in the century, Colgate began to manufacture perfume. It was not until 1877, however, that the company introduced Colgate Dental Cream, the tooth cleansing product for which it is best known today. The company's breakthrough innovation came in 1896, when Colgate presented consumers with the first ever collapsible tube package for its dental cream. Despite its trend-setting dental care delivery system, Colgate might never have risen to its multinational stature, had hygiene not captured the popular imagination at the turn-of-the-century. Riding the wave of sales brought by this newfound infatuation with cleanliness, by 1906 Colgate boasted over 2,000 different products - including 160 kinds of toilet soap, 625 varieties of perfume, and a complete line of laundry soap. Colgate went public in 1908. Worldwide expansion After a 1928 merger with Kansas City-based Palmolive-Peet, Colgate began an aggressive international expansion campaign. The company first expanded into Europe in the 1930s with the purchase of several French and German soap makers. It expanded into Asia during the 1950s, beating most American companies by a decade. By 1961, foreign sales already accounted for over half of Colgate-Palmolive's revenue. Today the company sells its products in well over 200 countries. In 1999, of total sales, Latin America contributed 26 percent, North America 23 percent, Europe 22 percent, and Asia/Africa 17 percent. An impressive product line Colgate-Palmolive currently manufactures thousands of brand-name products - including its trademark toothpaste (the world's top-seller), Palmolive liquid soap, and Fab laundry detergent - which it sells in 212 countries. The company is organized along five product lines: Oral Care, Personal Care, Household Surface Care, Fabric Care, and Pet Nutrition. Throughout the 1990s, the company has sought to boost its revenues by purchasing top performers like Mennen, the maker of the country's leading deodorant, as well as several international manufacturers of consumer goods. This expansion was accompanied by domestic downsizing; Colgate-Palmolive restructured nearly half of its U.S. factories in order to cut costs. The company still employs over 38,000 people. In 1998, oral care accounted for 32 percent of total sales, personal care for 24 percent, household products for 16 percent, and fabric care for 15 percent. The toothpaste titan To understand Colgate-Palmolive's business operations, it is essential to grasp the extent of the company's international sales. To start with, Colgate sells more than 40 percent of the world's toothpaste - consumers purchase 3 billion tubes of toothpaste with the Colgate name each year. Non-U.S. sales now account for 70 percent of Colgate's income. Colgate now hopes to diversify sales by refocusing on its sagging domestic market. In early 1998, Colgate introduced Colgate Total, the first toothpaste allowed by the Food and Drug Administration to be advertised as a gum disease fighter. The introduction of Colgate Total has been a total success: the toothpaste grabbed 10.6 percent of total toothpaste sales in the United States by May 1998. In 1998 Colgate stated that it held the leading position in toothpastes in 175 countries.
Colgate-Palmolive does not post current job opportunities nationally, although many of its production and distribution facilities advertise openings in local newspapers and in trade journals. The company also recruits for its corporate offices extensively on college campuses. Those interested in Administration, Accounting, Finance, Marketing, and Sales positions can send resumes and cover letters to the New York headquarters. Applicants looking for positions in Computer, Research, or other technical fields should send their resumes to the human resources office of the company's Technology Center: 909 River Road, Piscataway, NJ, 08855. Qualifications vary greatly depending on one's field. For engineers straight out of undergraduate, Colgate has a great many entry-level opportunities. On the other hand, for those looking at operations general management or global marketing, MBAs and several years of work experience are required. Foreign language skills are a huge advantage in any field. Even if R&D is your specialty, the ability to communicate with local employees at overseas plants will help you get ahead. Insiders say that interviews at Colgate are "not BS heavy." They advise prospective employees to "be yourself and answer the way you truthfully feel-that is probably the best anybody can do," especially since the team players at Colgate look for "someone to work with, and depend on as a team member." Interviews are typically with "three or four key people."
Colgate is an excellent opportunity for marketing MBAs who want international business experience. As one Bombay-based employee puts it: "The business school graduates rate Colgate-Palmolive as one of the 'coveted employers.'" The company has very strong, well-structured summer internship programs for MBAs. "There are scheduled breakfasts with middle and upper management to ensure exposure," says one former intern. "The experience was better than my initial expectations." "I was given three different projects that allowed me to dig deeper into specific functional areas" Those who work at the corporate headquarters describe the atmosphere there as "casual" and "relaxed." Colgate is careful "not to grind employees into the ground," often keeping long hours in check with "half days on Fridays in the summer." "It's a calm place to work when compared to many other companies that I've worked for," reports one employee at company headquarters. Another employee describes the culture as "fast and high pressure, but very rewarding," Insiders also say that Colgate is pushing for better representation of women and minorities at higher levels: "Several years ago our CEO, Reuben Mark, made giving opportunities to women and minorities a priority." "I have been promoted twice in five years and I am now a senior manager," according to one woman insider. "They could use a few more women VPs, but I can't feel the glass ceiling." "As for the minority/women situation here, it is very well distributed," says one female marketer. "One good thing that is very good about Colgate as a whole is that they really do a great job with diversity and the success of women in the workforce." Says another employee: "We do not have an on-site daycare facility, as Johnson & Johnson does, but still aim to be fairly progressive, just not cutting edge." The company even introduced two well established Latin American products into the U.S. market to appeal to its growing number of Hispanic consumers. For MBA interns and other management-track employees, senior management has an "open door policy." Employees in marketing and related fields appreciate the opportunity to participate in international business deals, and others enjoy the "teamwork" and "spirited camaraderie" of the company's research facility. As a global company, many policies and norms vary at Colgate-Palmolive, in the sweltering heat of India for instance, dress is formal, but ?no jackets unless you want to and can stand it." In New York, dress code is "business - no slouching at the corporate office." On the whole, however, employees say that "as far as corporate culture, dress codes, and special perks, Colgate seems to consciously aim for the middle ground. However, the international assignments can also be a burden." According to one former MBA intern, "you must be willing to work overseas for five to eight years minimum."
Human Resources
Oral care;Home surface cleaners;Personal Care products;Pet food;Laundry Detergent
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