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Estée Lauder Companies Inc. is one of the world's leading manufacturers and marketers of skin care, cosmetics, perfume and hair care products.
The company began in 1946, when Joseph and Estée Lauder began producing cosmetics in New York City, New York. At first, they only had four products: an all purpose cream, a creme pack, a cleansing oil and a skin lotion. Two years later, they established their first department store account with Saks Fifth Avenue in New York.
Over the next fifteen years, they expanded their range and continued to sell their products in the United States. In 1960, the company went international. It first established a presence in London, England. Their first international account was the London department store Harrods. The following year, it opened an office in Hong Kong, China.
In 1964, they launched Aramis Inc., which produced fragrances and grooming products for men. In 1967, Estée Lauder was rewarded for her efforts by being named one of ten Outstanding Women in Business in the United States by business and financial editors. This was followed by a Spirit of Achievement Award from Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University in 1968. In that year, the company expanded again, opening Clinique Laboratories, Inc.
Estée Lauder became the first women's cosmetic company to introduce a second line for men when, in 1976, they began a separate line of skin supplies. In 1981, the company achieved another breakthrough when their products became available in the Soviet Union.
Estée Lauder now sells its products in department stores across the world, as well as having a chain of freestanding retail outlets. It employs over 20,000 people, and in 2003, its sales topped $5 billion. The company is still controlled by the Lauder family, which controls over 90% of voting shares, and Estée's grandson chairs the board of directors. In February 2004, the company's teen-oriented jane business was sold.
Estée Lauder brands include: