Fragrance house

Procter & Gamble

Founded in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble, Procter & Gamble began as a soap-and-candle maker. The company developed Ivory soap in 1879, opened its first research-and-development laboratory in 1890, and conducted its first consumer research in 1924. In 1931, it established its brand-management system, an organizational practice later recognized as an important innovation. Over time, P&G evolved from a local manufacturer into a globally scaled consumer-goods company with a diversified portfolio of daily-use products. Its beauty business was built substantially through acquisitions including Noxell, Max Factor, Clairol, and Wella AG, before a 2016 transaction transferred its global fine-fragrance and other specialty-beauty businesses to Coty. That deal included ten fragrance licenses, among them Hugo Boss, Gucci, Lacoste, and Escada. Today, P&G is organized around daily-use categories spanning fabric and home care, baby and feminine care, hair and skin care, grooming, oral care, and personal health care.