English: Colgate-Palmolive, a New York based company, opened a soap factory at East Balmain in 1923. In 1924 Palmolive soap was launched in Australia. By 1925 there were 144 people employed at Balmain by Colgate-Palmolive - 96 in the factory and 48 in the office and sales sections. In 1928 the factory began production of Colgate toothpaste. During the 1950s and 1960s shampoos and various household cleaning products were added to the Colgate range. In 1993 closure of the Balmain plant was begun. The Colgate-Palmolive site was reopened in 1998 having been redeveloped as residential apartments