After receiving a $5,000 loan from a friend in 1970, Tom and Kate Chappell launched Tom’s of Maine, starting with non-phosphate laundry detergent and later, most famously, an all-natural toothpaste. Throughout its history, the company’s operations have remained in Kennebunkport, and the company’s mission has remained the same—to create practical everyday products that won’t harm the environment. (You won’t find animal ingredients, peroxides, or artificial flavors, colors, sweeteners, or preservatives in any Tom’s of Maine products.) One thing that has changed is the ownership: Since 2006, Tom’s of Maine has been a subsidiary of Colgate Palmolive.