COMPANY·HISTORIES
NAIC 311320

Chocolate and Confectionery Manufactur- ing from Cacao Beans

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

17companies1842–2000founding years17still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedBarry Callebaut AG
1842
FoundedGhirardelli Chocolate Company
1852
FoundedNestlé S.A.
1866
FoundedGuittard Chocolate Company
1868
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedAlfred Ritter GmbH & Co. KG
1912
FoundedKoninklijke Wessanen nv
1913
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedMeiji Seika Kaisha Ltd.
1916
FoundedBobs Candies, Inc.FoundedEzaki Glico Company Ltd.
1922
FoundedArcher-Daniels-Midland Company
1923
FoundedHershey Foods Corporation
1927
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
FoundedStrauss-Elite Group
1934
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
FoundedArcor S.A.I.C.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedCadbury Schweppes PLC
1969
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall sharply around the world.
FoundedKraft Foods Inc.
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
FoundedAlpine Confections, Inc.
1999
FoundedCloetta Fazer AB
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit worldwide.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Barry Callebaut AG →
Active · founded 1842 · Switzerland
Franco-Belgo-Swiss Barry Callebaut AG is the world's largest manufacturer of chocolate and cocoa products for…
Ghirardelli Chocolate Company →
Active · founded 1852
Ghirardelli Chocolate Company is one of the leading producers of chocolate in the United States.
Nestlé S.A. →
Active · founded 1866 · Switzerland
Nestlé S.A.
Guittard Chocolate Company →
Active · founded 1868
Guittard Chocolate Company is a leading manufacturer of chocolate for the confectionary, baking, and ice cream…
Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co. KG →
Active · founded 1912 · Germany
Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co.
Koninklijke Wessanen nv →
Active · founded 1913 · The Netherlands
Early 20th Century:Company exits from the cheese, seed, and grain trades and begins focusing on processed products.
Meiji Seika Kaisha Ltd. →
Active · founded 1916 · Japan
Founded in 1916 as a manufacturer of biscuits and caramels, Meiji Seika Kaisha Ltd.
Bobs Candies, Inc. →
Active · founded 1922
Bobs Candies, Inc., makes and distributes candies, ranking as the largest candy cane maker in the world.
Ezaki Glico Company Ltd. →
Active · founded 1922 · Japan
Ezaki Glico Company Ltd.
Archer-Daniels-Midland Company →
Active · founded 1923
Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (ADM) is one of the world's leading processors and distributors of agricultural products…
Hershey Foods Corporation →
Active · founded 1927
Hershey Foods Corporation holds the top position in the U.S.
Strauss-Elite Group →
Active · founded 1934 · Israel
Merging two of Israel's oldest and largest food companies in 2004, the Strauss-Elite Group has become that country's…
Arcor S.A.I.C. →
Active · founded 1962 · Argentina
Life is sweet for Arcor S.A.I.C., the privately held firm that has grown to become one of Argentina's two biggest food…
Cadbury Schweppes PLC →
Active · founded 1969 · United Kingdom
Cadbury Schweppes PLC is one of the oldest and largest family-run businesses in the world today.
Kraft Foods Inc. →
Active · founded 1989
Kraft Foods Inc.
Alpine Confections, Inc. →
Active · founded 1999
Alpine Confections, Inc.
Cloetta Fazer AB →
Active · founded 2000 · Sweden
Cloetta Fazer AB is the Nordic region's leading manufacturer of chocolates and other confectionery.
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