From Our Family to Yours
Tom's of Maine started because of two parents' journey to care for the health of their children. A passion for helping others live a natural life still drives us today!
Tom and Kate Chappell moved to Maine from Philadelphia in 1968, looking for a healthier, simpler life for their growing family. They discovered the benefits of natural and unprocessed food, and started looking for the same qualities in personal care products. But all they found were labels listing artificial flavors, fragrances, sweeteners, colors and preservatives. So they decided to create their own.
Kate and Tom worked closely together from the very beginning, with Tom leading the charge from an entrepreneurial and business standpoint and Kate focusing on creativity and community within the company.
In 1970, with the help of a $5000 loan from a friend, Tom's of Maine was born. Right from the start, our company was shaped by the Chappell's entrepreneurial spirit and values. By 1975, we'd introduced the first natural toothpaste on the U.S. market. And because Tom and Kate felt that businesses should give back, we soon found meaningful ways to care for the planet and our communities.
We became a part of the Colgate-Palmolive company in 2006. And we're proud to say that as we've grown through the years, our simple, direct approach has never changed. We continue to put our hearts into providing our customers with natural personal care products that work as well as they'd expect. And we are so committed to giving back that we donate 10% of our profits to nonprofit organizations, and we encourage our employees to use 5% of their paid time to the organization of their choice.
Photos and ads from our early years
When Tom and Kate Chappell founded Tom's of Maine in 1970, it was a reflection of their idealistic, creative and entrepreneurial aspirations. Enjoy this look at some of our early products, advertising and photographs — they capture our unique spirit.
The first Tom's of Maine product: Clearlake Laundry Detergent, with a homey hand-drawn label designed by Kate.
Clearlake was the first non-phosphate cleaner on the market, inspired in part by Tom and Kate's concerns about rapidly degrading water quality in the U.S. Today the company continues its involvement with that issue through our Rivers Awareness Partnership.
The reusable container included a request to mail it back to Tom for refilling — little did he know that so many people would take him up on that! Needless to say, the post office wasn't altogether pleased to be receiving so many bottles.
In 1972, Tom's of Maine moved into natural personal care, developing a line of soaps made from vegetable (not animal) glycerin. Kate herself designed most of the early advertising and branding.
Early on, Tom sought ways to provide value and a little bit of natural luxury to his consumers.
In 1975, the company debuted its shampoo and toothpaste lines. Early advertising often included the Chappell's growing young family, and many new products were inspired by their needs as parents, like this baby shampoo.
Not only did the Chappell children appear in ads, they were also frequent testers of products. In fact, they even dabbled in product development — Matt was given some raw ingredients and told to play, and came up with our cinnamint flavor!
We housed our original factory in the former Kennebunk railroad depot building. The tracks were right outside and every time a train came by, the building rattled and people in meetings or on the phone had to stop momentarily because of the noise. In front, Kate planted an herb garden.
There wasn't much space inside the factory — just one line, that had to be cleaned and set back up every time a new product was made.
In 1981, Tom's launched the first natural toothpaste with fluoride. We've always felt it's important to serve all of our consumer's health needs, so we like offering choices like fluoride or fluoride-free.
Tom and Kate were inspired to move to Maine and live more simply — and the products they created also subscribed to that idealistic idea.
Tom's has always focused as much on what's not in our products as well as what is. Sometimes, it's what you don't add that makes all the difference!
By the end of the 1980s, growing awareness of our impact on the environment made companies like Tom's a more and more popular choice. Our product line had developed to include, in 1995, the American Dental Association's Seal of Approval on our fluoride toothpaste — the first natural brand to receive the designation.
By the end of the 1980s, growing awareness of our impact on the environment made companies like Tom's a more and more popular choice. Our product line had developed to include, in 1995, the American Dental Association's Seal of Approval on our fluoride toothpaste — the first natural brand to receive the designation.
©YYYY Tom's of Maine, Inc.
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