00309.xml ECOLAB, INC.: An Inventory of Its Records Finding aid prepared by David B. Peterson. Minnesota Historical Society
St. Paul MN.

Manuscripts Collection

 Finding aid encoded by Stephanie Grabowski,March 30, 1999. Finding aid written inEnglish August 2008Converted from EAD Version 1.0 to Version 2002 by Monica Manny Ralston, Daniel Sher, and Joyce Chapman. OVERVIEW Minnesota Historical Society Ecolab, Inc. (Saint Paul, Minn.). Company records. 1913-1994 (bulk 1925-1994). Abstract:Miscellaneous records of a multinational developer and manufacturer of industrial and household cleaning and sanitizing products, systems, and services. Includes unpublished annual reports (1925-1951), employee newsletters and magazines, brochures and company publications, photographs, formulas, news clippings, and miscellaneous letters and memoranda. 2.75 cu. ft. (4 boxes, including 29 v.). See Detailed Description section for shelf locations. HISTORICAL SKETCH OF ECOLAB, INC.

Ecolab is a St. Paul-based, multinational developer and manufacturer of cleaning, sanitizing, and maintenance products, equipment, systems, and services for the hospitality, institutional, and industrial markets. Products include dish washing detergents, disinfectants, floor care and odor control products, specialty cleaning products, and product dispensing equipment. Important early products included a powdered detergent for institutional electric dishwashing machines (1925) and a floor and wall cleaner (1934), both marketed under the trade name "Soilax."

Ecolab was founded in St. Paul in February 1923 by Merritt J. Osborn. It was incorporated in 1924, and until the 1980s was known as Economics Laboratory, Inc. The name of the firm was changed in 1986/1987 to Ecolab, Inc. For many years the company's headquarters office was located in the Guardian Building in downtown St. Paul. In 1968 the firm moved to the Osborn Building, its new office tower a few blocks away in the Capital Centre redevelopment area. Economics Laboratory made its first public offering of common stock in 1957.

 SCOPE AND CONTENTS

The collection includes unpublished annual reports (1925-1951), employee newsletters and magazines, brochures and company publications, photographs of company executives and facilities, product formulas, news clippings, press releases, miscellaneous memoranda and letters, and other material. These items were once a part of the Ecolab corporate library.

There is information about the company's history, its products and services, finances and operations, and officers and directors; employee activities; annual meetings; stockholders, stock offerings, performance of the company's stock, and the declaration of dividends; mergers and acquisitions, and related and subsidiary companies; and research and development activities. There is considerable information about the construction and expansion of company facilities, particularly the Osborn Building and a research and development center in Mendota Heights, Minn.

A variety of print materials related to Economics Laboratory and to Ecolab are in the Minnesota Historical Society (MHS) book collection. Published annual reports (1950/1951- ) are in the Society's serials collection. The John Lewis Wilson and Family Papers in the MHS manuscript collections contain some records of, and information about, Economics Laboratory, Inc., including board minutes (1958-1963), correspondence and miscellaneous papers (1932-1974), and information about research and development.

 CATALOG HEADINGS

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics: Cleaning compounds industry -- United States. Cleaning machinery and appliances industry -- United States. International business enterprises -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul. Research, Industrial. Sanitary supply industry -- United States. Places: Osborn Building (Saint Paul, Minn.). Saint Paul (Minn.) -- Manufactures. Persons: Grieve, Pierson M., 1927-. Koran, Ida C., ca.1892-1967. Lanners, Fred T. Osborn, Edward Bartley, 1907-1978. Osborn, Merritt J., 1879-1960. Osborn, Stephen Armstrong. Wilson, John Lewis, 1898-1983. Organizations: Economics Laboratory, inc. Klenzade Products, (Beloit, Wis.). Types of Documentation: Annual reports. Formulas. Photographs. Title: Focus on EL Management. ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION Restriction:

All copyrights owned by Ecolab are retained by the company. Quotation or publication beyond the fair use provisions of the copyright law requires written permission.

 Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Ecolab, Inc. Records. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

 Accession Information:

Accession Number: 15,230

 Processing Information:

Processed by: David B. Peterson, August 1997

Catalog ID number: 09-00320283

 DETAILED DESCRIPTION 143.G.18.8F1Anniversary Parties, Products, undated and 1949-1983. Annual Reports (unpublished), 1925-1951. 2 folders. Brochures: General Information, undated and 1960-1978. Brochures, Publications, and Announcements, 1962-1981. Building Dedications: Merritt J. Osborn Research and Development Center (Mendota Heights, Minn.), 1962-1971. (Includes guest book). Osborn Building, undated and 1968. R & D Chemical Engineering Center (Eagan, Minn.), 1981. Company Histories, 1974-1981. Employee Handbooks, 1848-1964. Employee/Retiree Magazines and Newsletters: E.L. Today, 1965-1977. 13 volumes. 143.G.18.9B2E.L. Today, 1978-1983. 6 volumes Focus on EL Management, 1969-1980. 6 volumes. (monthly newsletter for management personnel). Headlines, 1977-1983. 1 volume. (successor to E.L. Today and Newsbeat) See Box 4. Financial and Investment Information, 1973-1983. First EL Formulary Developed by John L. Wilson, 1940-1956. 2 volumes. Five-Year Plan (1960-1964), [ca.1960]. Koran, Ida C., 1967. (corporate secretary). Koran Scholarship Winners, 1982-1994. Lanners, Fred T., 1983. (Chairman and CEO). Notices of Annual Meetings, 1967-1994. 2 folders. Osborn, E. B.: Memos and Brochures, undated and 1969-1978.

(President, CEO, Chairman; son of M. J. Osborn).

 Osborn, M. J.: Letters, Memos, Book of Quotations, and Brochures, undated and 1942-1964.

(Chairman and founder of Economics Laboratory).

 Osborn, S. A.: Memos, Research Activities, and Photograph, undated and 1942-1943.

(Vice President, Research Director; son of M. J. Osborn).

 143.G.18.10F3Photographs: Employees, Executives, Pilot Plant, undated and 1944-1946, 1973. Koran, Ida C., 1913-1955. Merritt J. Osborn Research and Development Center (Mendota Heights, Minn.), 1962. Osborn Executives (E.B., M.J., S.A.), undated and 1967-1973. Publicity, 1956-1989. 11 folders. Quarterly Reports, 1969-1994. 2 folders. Research and Development Technical Symposiums, 1966-1981. Stockholders, 1937-1968. 2 folders.

(Includes notices of annual meetings, declarations of dividends, circular letters to stockholders from the company president, stockholders' resolutions, news releases, proxy statements, stockholders' interim reports, prospectuses.).

 Technical Bulletins, undated and 1946-1977. Wilson, John L., undated and 1935-1985.

(Senior Vice President, Director of Research and Development).

 142.G.6.6F-24Oversize Materials: Employee/Retiree Magazines and Newsletters: Headlines, 1984-1985.