Acquisition closed
Colgate-Palmolive acquires meridol and elmex (2004)
Colgate-Palmolive completed the acquisition of meridol and elmex on 1 May 2004.[1]
Colgate-Palmolive acquired GABA Holding, a Swiss oral care company selling elmex and meridol through European pharmacies. The purchase gave Colgate a pharmacy channel and a specialist reputation in Europe that its mass-market toothpaste could not reach on its own. The price was not disclosed.
Deal facts
- Announced
- Closed
- Value
- Undisclosed
- Buyer
- Colgate-Palmolive
- Seller
- —
- Assets
- meridol, elmex
- Regulatory review
- None recorded
Ownership changes recorded from this deal
| Owner | Owned | Relationship | Stake | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colgate-Palmolive | elmex | owns | 100% | 2004-05-01 | present |
| Colgate-Palmolive | meridol | owns | 100% | 2004-05-01 | present |
Who owns these brands today?
- meridol — owned by Colgate-Palmolive since 2004
- elmex — owned by Colgate-Palmolive since 2004
Sources (1) & corrections
Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.
- [1] Colgate-Palmolive Company Form 10-K - GABA Holding acquisition — SEC EDGAR, SEC Form 10-K, published 28 February 2005; retrieved 8 September 2026.
Report a correction Opens a pre-filled GitHub issue. See our corrections policy.