Public | |
Traded as | |
Industry | Consumer goods |
Founded | October 31, 1837 Cincinnati, Ohio, US |
Founders | |
Headquarters | Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America |
Area served
|
Worldwide (except Cuba and North Korea) |
Key people
|
David S. Taylor Chairman of the Board, President and CEO |
Products | Cleaning agents Personal care products |
Brands | See list of brands |
Revenue | US$65.29 billion (2016) |
US$13.44 billion (2016) | |
US$10.50 billion (2016) | |
Total assets | US$127.1 billion (2016) |
Total equity | US$57.34 billion (2016) |
Number of employees
|
105,000 (2016) |
Website | us |
Procter & Gamble Co., also known as P&G, is an American consumer goods corporation headquartered in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America, founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. It primarily specializes in a wide range of cleaning agents, personal care and hygienics products. Before the sale of Pringles to the Kellogg Company, its product portfolio also included foods, snacks and beverages.
In 2014, P&G recorded $83.1 billion in sales. On August 1, 2014, P&G announced it was streamlining the company, dropping and selling off around 100 brands from its product portfolio in order to focus on the remaining 65 brands, which produced 95% of the company's profits. A.G. Lafley, the company's chairman, president, and CEO until October 31, 2015, said the future P&G would be "a much simpler, much less complex company of leading brands that's easier to manage and operate".
David Taylor is the current president and CEO of Procter & Gamble.
Candlemaker William Procter born in the United Kingdom and soapmaker James Gamble born in Ireland, emigrated from England and Ireland, respectively. They settled in Cincinnati initially and met when they married sisters, Olivia and Elizabeth Norris. Alexander Norris, their father-in-law, called a meeting in which he persuaded his new sons-in-law to become business partners. On October 31, 1837, as a result of the suggestion, Procter & Gamble was created.
In 1858–1859, sales reached $1 million. By that point, about 80 employees worked for Procter & Gamble. During the American Civil War, the company won contracts to supply the Union Army with soap and candles. In addition to the increased profits experienced during the war, the military contracts introduced soldiers from all over the country to Procter & Gamble's products.
In the 1880s, Procter & Gamble began to market a new product, an inexpensive soap that floats in water. The company called the soap Ivory. William Arnett Procter, William Procter's grandson, began a profit-sharing program for the company's workforce in 1887. By giving the workers a stake in the company, he correctly assumed that they would be less likely to go on strike.