ECOLAB

History

Ecolab's history began in 1923 in St. Paul, Minnesota. M.J. Osborn founded the Economics Laboratory company. The first product was the carpet cleaner Absorbit. The company then turned to chemical agents for mechanical dishwashers. In 1924 Soilax became one of the main products in this line. In 1928 the first dosing unit was introduced. The joint use of chemical agents with equipment has held an important place in the company's operations.

In 1986, the name Economics Laboratory was replaced with Ecolab. That same year, the company was listed on the New York Stock Exchange. In 1987, the Textile Care division was established for commercial laundries. This division targets businesses processing large volumes of textiles. In 2001, the remaining half of the Henkel-Ecolab joint venture was acquired. This completed the consolidation of the European business into the unified Ecolab structure.

Ecolab currently offers water, hygiene and infection prevention services together. Hotels, food-service establishments, healthcare and industry are among its user segments. Alongside chemical products, data analytics and technical service are also offered. The 2025 investor disclosure shows approximately 48 thousand employees. The same source links operations to more than 170 countries. These figures pertain to the entire Ecolab group. They should not be taken as a separate measure of the laundry division.

Known for

• Laundry chemicals and dosing solutions.
• Water use management.
• Field service combined with chemical products.

Milestones

• 1923M.J. Osborn founded Economics Laboratory.
• 1928First product dispensing unit introduced.
• 1986The Ecolab name was adopted, and listing on the New York Stock Exchange began.
• 1987The Textile Care division was established for commercial laundries.
• 2001Remaining half of the Henkel-Ecolab business acquired.

Product lines

• Laundry detergents
• Chemical dosing systems
• Hygiene and disinfection products
• Water treatment solutions

Categories in the catalog