Brand Description

St. Paul, MN

Sales: $7.8 billion

www.ecolab.com

Key Personnel: Christophe Beck, chairman and chief executive officer; Darrell Brown, president and chief operating officer; Scott Kirkland, chief financial officer; Alfredo de Matos, vice president and market head, Brazil; Christina Kong, executive vice president and market head, Greater China; Adrian Studer, executive vice president and market head, Europe; Stefan Umiastowski, senior vice president and market head, India, Middle East and Africa; Nicholas Alfano, executive vice president and president, global industrial group; Tiffany Atwell, executive vice president, government relations; Larry Berger PhD, executive vice president and chief technical officer; David Bingenheimer, executive vice president and general manager, Ecolab Digital; Miss Blais, vice president, global tax; Jardeen Boone, executive vice president, general counsel, secretary and interim chief compliance officer; Jennifer Bradway, senior vice president and corporate controller; Jeff Bulischek, executive vice president and general manager, commercial digital sales; Greg Cook, executive vice president and president, institutional group; Hayley Crowe, executive vice president and general manager, global life sciences; Sam De Boo, executive vice president and president, global markets; Mike Duijser, executive vice president and chief supply chain officer; Nicolas A. Granucci, executive vice president and general manager, global food & beverage; Soraya Hlila, executive vice president and general manager, global pest elimination; John R. Houghby Jr., executive vice president and general manager, institutional division; Margeaux King, executive vice president, human resources; Chris Leong, executive vice president and chief marketing & innovation officer; Catherine Loh, vice president and treasurer; Joshua Magnuson, executive vice president and general manager, global light water sector; Marcello Napol, senior vice president and general manager, global healthcare; Harpreet Saluja, executive vice president, corporate strategy and business development

Major Products: Cleaning and sanitizing products and services for the industrial and institutional markets

New Products: Ecolab ReadyDose, Disinfectant 1 Wipe, Barclay Water Management (acquisition) 

Comments: Corporate sales rose 3% to $15.7 billion, but that total includes equipment and products outside Happi’s scope. By segment, institutional and specialty division sales rose nearly 8%.

Global healthcare & life sciences sales fell nearly 11%, but the decline was due to the sale of Ecolab’s global surgical solutions business, which closed in the third quarter. Medline acquired the business for about $950 million in cash. Ecolab intended to repurchase up to $500 million in company stock. Organic sales rose 1%. 

Every year, Ecolab solutions help clean 15 million patient rooms and 3.5 billion surgical instruments. Last year, Ecolab launched the Disinfectant 1 Wipe, the first EPA-registered 100% plastic-free, readily degradable, 1-minute hospital disinfection wipe derived 100% from wood pulp fibers. 

Global pest elimination sales increased 8%. The gains were attributed to strong growth in food and beverage, restaurants and food retail.

Progress on Sustainability

In 2024, Ecolab continued to make progress on sustainability issues. Its positive impact with customers helped:

• Conserve 226 billion gallons of water, equivalent to the drinking water needs of 781 million people;

• Protect 1.7 billion people from foodborne illnesses and infections;

• Avoid 4.6 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG); and

• Achieve $9.1 billion in cumulative value from the use of Ecolab solutions and services. 

While Ecolab makes its greatest impact through its work with customers, the company continued to lead by example in its own operations and communities. The Water Resilience Coalition now includes 40 companies. The EU operation achieved 100% renewable electricity. Finally, Ecolab accelerated efforts to convert its North American sales and service fleet to electric vehicles by 2030..

Ecolab’s Housekeeper Appreciation campaign recognizes the efforts of hard-working cleaning professionals and shows appreciation to those who demonstrate exceptional work performance, professionalism, and a steadfast commitment to maintaining clean, healthy and inviting spaces that are ready for guests. In 2024, Ecolab received over 600 nominations across the hospitality industry, and 50 outstanding housekeepers were selected as winners. Each winner received a prize valued at $500 to show appreciation for their invaluable contributions to their teams and dedication to the success of hotels and guest satisfaction by upholding high standards of hygiene, safety and service—core values of Ecolab.

For the ninth consecutive year, Ecolab was named to Selling Power magazine’s list of the Best Companies to Sell For. It was the 18th time in 20 years that Ecolab’s sales-and-service team earned the distinction.

Q1 2025 sales fell 2% to $3.7 billion. The decline was due to a 2% unfavorable impact from the sale of the global surgical solutions business and a 2% unfavorable impact from currency translation. Organic sales rose 3%, with continued strong growth in the Institutional & Specialty, Pest Elimination, and Life Sciences segments. 

Water delivered solid growth, overcoming industrial end market trends that softened during the quarter.