Merritt J. Osborn was a salesman. His job required him to travel a lot. He got acquainted with a problem which later resulted in a business opportunity. He realized that cleaning the carpets in hotel guest rooms took weeks. While the carpets are being cleaned, the hotel foregoes its earnings because the rooms are closed.
When Osborn was 44 years old, he became desperate for a new business. He recalled the problems he had with his hotel accommodations in the past. He wanted to develop a product that would clean the carpets without taking them out of the room. The carpet would be cleaned in the morning and the room becomes available in the evening.
Osborn named his invention Absorbit. In 1923, he decided to open his company and named it Economics Laboratory. However, Absorbit did not turn out to be a money maker. But this did not stop Osborn.
He noticed that dish machines have replaced dishwashers in many hotel kitchens. He noticed the dish machines washed dishes very poorly mainly because of poor soaps. He vowed to work on creating a better soap.
Osborn created his dish machine soap and named it SOILAX. SOILAX was the best dish machine soap in the market at that time. SOILAX provided Economic Laboratory with a better financial footing.
A female employee named Ida Koran soon joined the company. She left a good legacy in the company, The Ida C. Koran Foundation. Until now, the Foundation helps Ecolab associates during hard financial times.
Soon, Osborn’s sons S.A. and E.B. also joined Ecolab. S.A. was with Ecolab for 25 years. E.B. pioneered the company’s sales and services as President from 1950 to 1978. It was during the time of E.B. when the company was traded publicly.
Osborn and Koran wrote the early chapters of Ecolab’s story. Over 27,500 Ecolab workers continue to write Ecolab’s story today.