Procter & Gamble was created on
Halloween 1837. William Procter, a candle maker and James Gamble, a soap
maker, emigrated from England and Ireland. They settled in Cincinnati and
met when they married sisters, Olivia and Elizabeth Norris. Their new
father-in-law, Alexander Norris had a meeting with his newfound son-in-laws and
persuaded them to become business partners. Procter & Gamble was
created.
Sales reached $1 million in 1858-1859 and the
company grew to include about 80 employees. During the Civil War, the
company won contracts to supply the Union Army with soap and candles.
Along with increased profits from the war, this also exposed soldiers from all
over the country to P&G products.
In the 1880s, they began to market a new
product, an inexpensive soap that floats in water. This soap was called
Ivory. William Arnett Procter, William Procter’s grandson, began a
profit-sharing program for the company’s workers in 1887. By giving the
workers a stake in the company, he correctly assumed that they would be less
likely to go on strike.
The company outgrew its Cincinnati
facilities and soon started to build other factories in other locations.
The company’s leaders started to diversify its products as well and in 1911
began producing Crisco, a shortening made from vegetable oil rather than animal
fats.
As radio became more popular in the 1920s
and 1930s, P&G sponsored a number of radio programs. These shows
became to be known as “soap operas.”
The company moved into other countries,
for manufacturing and product sales. It became an international
corporation in 1930 with the acquisition of Thomas Hedley Co., based in
Newcastle, England. Numerous new brand names and products were introduced
over time.
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