Colgate began in 1806 as a small soap and candle business in Dutch Street, New York City. The founder was William Colgate. The company first produced toothpaste in 1873, initially in jars and subsequently in a collapsible (squeezable) tube in 1896. Today, Colgate is a multi-billion, global company serving millions of consumers worldwide. The company’s plain tie, dating back to the 1980s when narrower ties were fashionable, is in the distinctive, company-colour red (XXXXX – narrow – condition, worn).