The founders of Tom's of Maine...have agreed to sell their business to Colgate-Palmolive Co. for $100 million... The couple said Colgate-Palmolive, a global corporation that produces close to half the world's toothpaste, has agreed to keep the business in Maine and run it according to the same socially conscious management principles for which Tom's is widely recognized... The Chappells have won numerous awards for a management style they describe as a holistic approach to business, acknowledging the importance of community, families and the environment as well as the bottom line... Kate Chappell said the management approach she and her husband pioneered might influence Colgate more than the other way around.