Stanhome, a human adventure

Stanhome is above all a human adventure: the story of Stanley Beveridge who, in 1931, as the Great Depression hit America, decided to follow his instincts as a visionary entrepreneur. Joined by Catherine O’Brien, he launched a brand of high quality household products, marketed through door-to-door sales. 

Wanting to offer salespeople more than just an income, but the opportunity for a better life, he invented direct selling, and when Catherine O’Brien had the idea of bringing women into the sales force in 1939, this philosophy came into its own: Stanhome will effectively empower thousands of women around the world.

Stanley Beveridge and Catherine O’Brien also have strong beliefs about their products. They want them to be highly concentrated to last longer and save money. Moreover, the brand’s environmental awareness developed very early on. In fact, at the end of the 1970s, Stanhome removed phosphates from its formulas before anyone else.

The DNA of Stanhome, a brand dedicated to well-being at home, was then established:

   – Expert and innovative products;

   – A sales model based on trust and human relations;

   – An early awareness of the importance of protecting people and their environment.

The brand was exported and developed, first in Latin America, then in Europe. In 1997, the Rocher Group bought Stanhome, writing a new page in its history. If they had met, Yves and Stanley would certainly have found many similarities. These two visionary founders believed in new distribution methods – direct sales for one, mail order for the other – placed women at the heart of their business, and each built a strong brand with similar values.

In 2019, Groupe Rocher becomes the first international group to adopt the status of Mission Company, setting objectives within which the Stanhome values are fully expressed.