With global brands like Mach3, Venus, Duracell, Oral-B and Braun, Gillette is the world leader in eight product categories, including blades and razors for men and women, manual and power toothbrushes, and alkaline batteries.

Gillette's manufacturing operations are conducted at facilities around the world, and its products are distributed through wholesalers, retailers and agents in over 200 countries and territories.

"As we enter our second century, Gillette is proud of the broad range of superior products that we offer consumers. Each product defines excellence and value in its category," said Gillette Chairman and CEO James M. Kilts.

The story of today's $9.2 billion global business began on September 28, 1901, when King C. Gillette founded the company that would manufacture his revolutionary shaving invention -- the safety razor with disposable blades.

The new company's first home was a one-room workshop over a fish market on Boston's waterfront. It had just one employee and plenty of engineering challenges to overcome before Gillette's safety razor could be manufactured commercially.

Two years later, the Gillette Safety Razor Company recorded its first sales -- 51 razors and 168 blades. In 1904, sales soared to over 90,000 razors and more than 123,000 blades, as men quickly appreciated the vast improvement in shaving performance and comfort with the Gillette Safety Razor. A year later, razor sales tripled and blade sales were 10 times the 1904 results. The shaving revolution was on.

In 1905, Gillette opened a sales office in London and a factory in Paris, the beginnings of today's global company. The same year, King C. Gillette's portrait debuted on razor blade packaging and quickly became the worldwide symbol of Gillette quality.

When Gillette shaving kits were issued to all U.S. servicemen in World War I, the Company gained tens of thousands of new lifetime customers.

Gillette has been linked with sports for more than 90 years. In 1939, it became the first sponsor of World Series radio broadcasts. A decade later, Gillette became the exclusive sponsor of the World Series on television. Today, Gillette is the longest-running sponsor of World Cup soccer.

Diversification began after World War II. Over the years, Gillette has added to its product lineup such leading brands as Right Guard deodorants, Foamy shave cream, Braun electric shavers, Oral-B manual toothbrushes, Braun Oral-B power toothbrushes and Duracell alkaline batteries.

A key driver of Gillette's success has been a steady stream of new products. Gillette launched the first twin-blade shaving system, the Trac II, in 1971. In 1989, the Sensor shaving system debuted, with its automatically adjusting twin blades. Three years later, Gillette revolutionized female shaving with the Sensor for Women shaving system.

In oral care, the launch of the Braun Oral-B power toothbrush in 1991 set a new direction for this category. With its oscillating brush head, the Braun Oral-B delivered superior cleaning and quickly became the best-selling power toothbrush brand.

In 1998, the Company introduced the biggest shaving innovation in decades, the triple-bladed Mach3. Backed by an unprecedented advertising campaign, the Mach3 system quickly became a worldwide success.

The same year, Oral-B launched the CrossAction toothbrush with criss-cross bristles for unsurpassed cleaning performance. And Duracell introduced the Duracell Ultra alkaline battery, the first battery especially designed for today's high-drain devices.

King C. Gillette's spirit of innovation lives on inside Gillette today, said Kilts. "We continue to make and market technologically advanced products, such as our new Venus for Women shaving system and Braun Syncro electric shaver, that deliver added value to our trade customers and consumers.

"Gillette's success through the decades is the result of dedicated efforts by Gillette employees worldwide, and I salute all of our employees and retirees on this milestone occasion," Kilts added.