Douglas M. Baker Jr.
Date: July 3, 2013
Ecolab was born in 1923 when our founder M. J. Osborne created a product that cleaned carpets on the spot, eliminating the need for hotels to shut down while their carpets were being cleaned.
By staying focused on finding solutions to customer needs, Ecolab has grown to become the global leader in cleaning, sanitizing, food safety and infection prevention products and services. We offer more than 28,000 products and services to more than 1 million customers in 160 countries, backed by solid science and proven to maintain the highest standards of cleanliness and hygiene.
Our business model depends on both exceptional products and exceptional customer service. To stay ahead of the competition, we continue to make substantial investments in innovation to improve performance and provide cost savings for our customers. And we continue to invest in hiring and training people who can innovate, lead and deliver outstanding customer service.
At a time when other companies are pulling back, Ecolab is preparing for the future, completing a merger that will increase our revenue from $6 billion last year to $11+ billion next year.
Ecolab will serve industry leaders in the food, hospitality, industrial and energy markets globally. To continue to earn their business, we must be able to hire and keep talented employees with strong science and business backgrounds and good language skills, who are motivated to meet our high standards. We know we need the best talent, the most efficient supply chains and the strongest customer relationships to remain the global leader in these competitive times.
Currently, U.S. immigration laws make it more difficult to bring the best talent to our company and get the right worker in the right place at the right time. That’s why I joined the Partnership for a New American Economy. A smarter immigration system would allow us to find and keep dedicated people who can help us innovate and keep our promise of exceptional customer service—regardless of where our customers operate. America, more than any other nation, has historically attracted immigrants in search of a brighter, safer future. It’s time that we returned to our founding principles by creating an immigration system that works.
