OSCEOLA, Wis. (AP) -- The founder of beauty-products company Aveda Corp. has died at his Wisconsin home.

A notice posted on the company's website says Horst Rechelbacher died in Osceola on Saturday after an illness. He was 72.

Rechelbacher was an Austrian immigrant who founded the Minneapolis-based company in 1978. He started with one salon before turning it into a larger company that he eventually sold to Estee Lauder Cos. for $300 million.

Aveda sells hair- and skin-care products for men and women.

Aveda Global President Dominique Conseil says Rechelbacher will be remembered for his vision and leadership. In a statement, Conseil says he brought holistic beauty to the industry, "connecting hair, face and body as one."

The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports that Rechelbacher was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2011.