Perrigo Company

In 1887 Luther Perrigo, the proprietor of a general store and apple-drying business, had the idea to package and distribute patented medicines and household items for country stores. Located in Allegan, Michigan, the L. Perrigo Company enjoyed steady growth and, by the early 1920s, as many as 50 Perrigo salesmen were calling on rural stores throughout the Midwest. The company then leveraged the "private label" concept as a way to build customer loyalty. For no additional cost, Perrigo offered to imprint the individual store's name on the labels for epsom salts, sweet oil, bay rum and dozens of other wet and dry goods stocked in general stores of that era. In the mid-1930s, the company signed its first, large private-label customer and began manufacturing. The company continued its U.S. growth before establishing a global footprint with acquisitions in Mexico, the United Kingdom, Israel and India.