Ecolab Inc. is a global leader and trusted partner for major services of water, hygiene and energy technologies. It provides quality safety and security facilities on key industries such as healthcare, food service and processing, sanitation, power and manufacturing companies.
It remains to be at the forefront in providing optimum technical and scientific solutions and personalized on-site services, which include industry sanitation and maintenance as well as water and energy management situations and challenges.
Ecolab Inc. on Map
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Ecolab Inc. Global Headquarters
Address: 1 Ecolab Place, St. Paul, Minnesota 55102-2233 United States
Get directions
Customer Service:
Phone: +1-800-352-5326
Fax: +1-651-225-3098
Ecolab Corporate Center Switchboard | Phone: 1-800-232-6522
Website: www.ecolab.com
Ecolab History
Beginnings
Ecolab Inc. was founded in 1923 by Merritt J. Osborn as Economics Laboratory, envisioning an encompassing maintenance service and solutions provider, following a global goal to “sav[e] time, lighten labor and reduc[e] costs to those we serve.” Its pioneer product started with Absorbit, which is offered as a carpet cleaning service for hotel rooms. It was then followed by manufacturing a dishwasher soap. The corporation grew and included industrial specialty marketing services such as metalworking, petrochemical manufacturing and transportation.
Expansion
Economics Laboratory’s global expansion started in the 1950s when it officially established its first international subsidiary in Sweden. It also further saw its growth with subsequent acquisitions, which included Apollo Technologies and Lystads Inc., a pest eradication service provider. Its procurement of Lystads Inc. served as a key move for the growing company to establish a national pest elimination industry.
In 1986 it was renamed as Ecolab Inc. In the succeeding years, it expanded to offer other services such as a textile maintenance unit to cater for laundry businesses, and also acquired ChemLawn, a lawncare service industry. In the 1990s it extended its services with chemical industries and purchased Kay Chemical, Gibson Chemical Industries Ltd. and GCS Service Inc.
Ecolab Inc. further branched out and diversified its quality customer service portfolio, venturing into food safety and production and healthcare management industries. This development prompted the company to launch an innovative international research, development and engineering center in Eagan, Minnesota.
Ecolab Inc. continued to make bold ventures with more acquisitions and partnered with different corporations for business collaborations to improve their services. Among these noteworthy procurements included Champion Technologies, TruCost, Aquatech International and Swisher Hygiene, a sanitizing solutions industry for food service and healthcare providers.
The most significant partnership Ecolab Inc. took was with Nalco Holding Company Inc. in 2011. It is a quality solutions provider of energy and water improvement and management services for various industrial markets. Nalco Holding became a major subsidiary upon its completion of the US$5.4 billion acquisition by Ecolab Inc.
Company Profile
Ecolab Inc. serves as a catalyst for global change as it offers innovative and high quality solutions and services for global challenges. It is a major solutions provider which reaches out to a wide variety of industries and markets and addresses operational challenges such as food safety, clean and potable water resources, environmental protection and energy efficiency. Working towards “making a difference and serving the greater good,” it remains its quality and loyal service to its 3 million clients located in more than 170 countries.
Products and Services
Upholding the purpose and vision “When our customers succeed, we succeed,” Ecolab Inc. delivers extensive services and solutions to various manufacturing industries in different areas. It covers four major areas of enterprise: institutional, light industry, heavy industry and energy. The following is a comprehensive list of the services provided by Ecolab Inc.:
Institutional
1.1. Buildings and Facilities
1.2. Food Service
1.3. Health Care
1.4. Hospitality
1.5. Retail Industries
Light Industry
2.1. Commercial Laundries
2.2. Food and Beverage Processing
2.3. Life Sciences
2.4. Manufacturing
Heavy Industry
3.1. Chemical Processing
3.2. Mining and Mineral Processing
3.3. Power Generation
3.4. Primary Metals
3.5. Pulp and Paper
Energy
4.1. Energy Exploration and Production
4.2. Oil and Gas Midstream
4.3. Refineries, Fuel Additives and Petrochemicals
Bill Gates: A Major Shareholder of Ecolab Inc.
In March 2018, entrepreneur and business mogul Bill Gates raised his shareholdings of Ecolab Inc. of up to 10% through his investment arm Cascades Investment LLC, purchasing additional shares worth $91.7 million. Subsequently, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation upped its investment with 33.6 million shares, raising the company’s ownership of Ecolab Inc. by 11.6% and with a total value of the stocks of about $4.6 billion, making Bill Gates the biggest shareholder since 2011.
According to senior vice president of external relations at Ecolab Inc. Michael Monahan, Gates is interested to work long-term with good business enterprises together with them. He further commended the Microsoft co-founder for his professional partnership and collaboration with Ecolab Inc., which has been valuable and “very constructive” for the company.