Procter and Gamble

Procter and Gamble is a manufacturing conglomerate that produces many brands of consumer products and household goods. The company is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, but has regional headquarters located in Singapore, Panama and Switzerland. The current Chief Executive Officer is Angela F. Braly, who was named to the post in December of 2009.http://www.pg.com/en_US/company/global_structure_operations/governance/board_composition.shtml

For the fiscal year 2009, Procter and Gamble earned $79 billion in revenue. Over $13 billion of this was net earnings, giving the company an earnings margin of 14.3%. The revenue was a slight drop from the previous high of $81.7 billion in 2008.http://annualreport.pg.com/annualreport2009/financials/index.shtml Most recently, Procter and Gamble made news for its acquisition of Ambi Pur from the Sara Lee corporation for 320 million Euro. Ambi Pur produces air care and toilet care products, primarily in Europe.http://www.pginvestor.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=104574&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1444250

Procter and Gamble was founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. Procter, an English immigrant, began making candles in Cincinnati. Gamble, an Irish immigrant, became his brother-in-law when the two married sisters Olivia and Elizabeth Norris. Their father-in-law encouraged the pair to go into business together which they did, finally agreeing to a joint venture after several years.http://www.pg.com/en_US/downloads/media/Fact_Sheets_CompanyHistory.pdf

Procter brought his candle-making expertise to the company, while Gamble, an experienced soap-maker, offered his services. The company began by selling candles and soap in the Ohio area. The company became more of a family business as Procter's eldest son became the first president of the corporation in 1890. Gamble's eldest son later instituted the first laboratory in the company's history, creating Ivory Soap.http://www.pg.com/en_US/downloads/media/Fact_Sheets_CompanyHistory.pdf

As of 2010, the corporation sells and manufactures 81 different brands, ranging from budget household items, such as Tide and Pampers, to designer lines, including Dolce & Gabbana and Burberry.http://www.pg.com/en_US/brands/all_brands.shtml